The Story of You and I
by MellyHornUtra Band Freak
Summary: Time ticks slowly as minutes pass the lives of those who were affected by the 'incident.' For the first time in many years, Naruto and Sasuke are forced to live together. However, broken pasts can't be fixed. SasuNaru, ShikaIno, etc
1. Living Sin

Disclaimer: I am making absolutely no money out off this fan fiction. Don't sue me. I barely have money to get my ass into college. Naruto isn't mine.

* * *

_The Story of You and I_

* * *

Chapter I: Living Sin

_When crimson stains your hands  
you will be freed from all worries  
because you are the lone survivor_

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto stared at the young man he had spent the last four years of his life searching for. Nothing had changed about him, nothing. Countless of battles and bloodshed had left the man's features hard and rough. Emotionless onyx eyes glared at him from the distant trees. Uchiha Sasuke stood proud in all of his glory as they exchanged wordless salutations.

His blood drummed furiously through his veins. His breath hitched as the leaves of the tree, where the raven-haired man had previously been standing on, shook. The blonde dodged a quick silver flash aimed for his shoulder.

Summoning chakra to the soles of his sandals, the golden-haired boy landed safely on the ground. Kunais were drawn in preparation for any other oncoming attacks. The other nin landed in front of him gracefully.

"Run away or you'll die." The missing-nin spat, his voice cold.

Nothing had changed with Uchiha Sasuke. He was still as cold and emotionless as ever. Power emitted from every pore on his body. Dark power that he had sold his friends and betrayed his village to get.

"I won't be dying anytime soon," Naruto answered calmly. "At least not until I'm finished with you."

Naruto chuckled under his hunter-nin mask when the other turned to stare at him, a look of confusion upon his face. The advantages of having a mask on were countless. The main reason was to intimidate enemies into believing that they were actually fighting the animals encrusted upon it.

Bronze hands flew up to grab the punching fist. The drop in his defense immediately caused him to get hit as Sasuke's kick connected with his stomach. Grunting loudly, he dropped to his knees as the pale hands gripped his blonde hair tightly.

Summoning a large swirl of chakra into his hand, Naruto sent his  
attack forward. "Rasengan!"

It was easily swapped away by careless hands. His cerulean blue eyes widened as the other male picked him up from his knees. He cried out in pain when a hand flew to crush his neck.

"It ends here, weakling."

"Too late, bastard."

He saw red eyes widen momentarily before releasing him.

"Who are you?"

"Someone that you betrayed, Uchiha. Someone that you killed a long time ago."

Scowling with impatience, Sasuke threw a kunai to knock the mask away. Pieces of the glass fox mask cascaded down without any resistance. The smaller nin made no move to cover his face as it was finally exposed to the world.

"Naruto."

"I've come to take you back with me, Sasuke. And this time I won't fail."

* * *

"Come on Sakura-chan! I worked hard to get his ass back so you better go out on a date with me now!" Naruto whined as she pressed bits of ointment carefully onto his skin.

The medical-nin eyed his wounds sympathetically, light blue and purple bruises adorning the unbroken skin. She clicked her tongue loudly, but said nothing. Word had spread like wildfire that Naruto had brought Sasuke back, and she had been the first to witness the blonde's heroic return. The civilians had cheered uncontrollably when Uchiha Sasuke entered along with him.

The pink-haired girl sighed, wrapping the bandages around his head to prevent any further bleeding. "You shouldn't have pushed yourself so hard, Naruto. I can't always heal your body like this. Your small body won't be able to take any more of this so you have to be especially careful the next time you go into battle."

Naruto clasped the soft hands before the medical-nin moved away. Wasn't she happy that he had fulfilled the promise he had made to her? Uchiha Sasuke had been brought back safe and sound all thanks to him. "Are you mad at me, Sakura-chan?"

Shaking her head gently, she moved to sit on the rotating chair positioned across from him. "You've done more than anyone else could ever do, Naruto. However, if you were to die, I'd never be able to forgive myself. Even if Sasuke-kun was brought back, there's no point in celebrating if you weren't whole and well," she whispered.

He watched the young woman clean the remaining wounds on his elbows, wincing when she pushed a little too hard on one particular cut. "I won't ever do it again then."

"That's good." Sakura smiled as she backed away. Sure Naruto now resembled a mummy but it was his fault for getting so beaten up. In the back of her head, she wondered if Sasuke was in the same state. "Do you know what today is, Naruto?"

"Is it your birthday? Crap, I'm sorry I didn't buy you a present!" Naruto scratched his head embarrassingly for forgetting such an important date. But Sakura's birthday was on the 28th of March and it was already July.

"No, it's not my birthday. However, it is someone else's birthday though."

"Who?"

"It's Sasuke-kun's birthday. Don't you think you should go and see how he's doing? It's been almost a week now that he's returned to the village. I still don't know how you did it, Naruto." Sakura said.

The sheer curtains separated as the summer breeze whisked itself into the room. They turned to watch the white birds take flight. How did he win the fight? Blue eyes glossed over as Naruto turned away from the burning sunlight.

"I'll see him later."

"You should go and see Tsunade-sama first. She's been worried about you for a while now." Sakura commented.

He nodded obediently. Sakura closed her first aid kit, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek before leaving him to his solitude.

"I'm glad that you're back, Naruto."

* * *

"And what do you want me to do about it?" Naruto sighed indignantly as the great blonde Godaime explained her request to him again for the millionth time. "It's not my fault if he's a little loony up there okay? There's no way in hell I'm going to do what I think you want me to do."

A pang of hatred ran through his heart at the thought of the raven-haired young man. "He betrays Konoha and that's all the punishment he gets? It's not even fair at all. And now I have to deal with it? Isn't this like punishing me? If I committed the sin that he did I wouldn't even be standing here, would I? They'd sentence me to death at the blink of an eye."

There was so much truth to his words that it scared her. Uchiha Sasuke had been spared because he possessed the village's most important bloodline limit. He was the only one left and so any faults he had committed could have been easily overlooked.

"Please, Naruto?" She begged. "Besides, it's not like you have a home to return to any more."

Naruto stared at her, not fully comprehending the meaning of her words. "Say what?"

"Well, there were problems with your apartment so I needed to err . . . pawn it off to someone. So you can stay at his house during the mean time."

His head greeted the hard wooden desk repetitively as she continued to plea desperately. The old hag had, without a doubt, gambled away his apartment as well as his life's savings. Who would even take another person's property as payment? Was that even allowed?

"- and you'll have to move into Sasuke's house for the time being." Tsunade finished neatly with a fake smile plastered on her face.

"What the fuck?" Naruto screamed as he immediately ceased his head banging motions. Focusing his blue eyes, he rounded on the fifty-year-old woman. "Do you want me to die? He'll kill me in my sleep! I hate his guts! Why don't you just ask Sakura-chan or something? I'm sure she wouldn't mind having him over!"

"No missions!"

"WHAT?"

"No training!"

"WHAT?"

"NO FUTURE HOKAGE!"

"WHAT?"

Tsunade dove deep into her brain, in search of something that could make the boy succumb. What is the best possible threat? What threat would change his mind? This is Naruto. So what would get him? What is his lifeline? 'Ah ha!'

She smirked evilly, leaning a perfect oval face into delicate hands. Words passed through controlled lips, nearly killing the blonde boy on the spot.

"No ramen . . . ever again!"

"OH MY GOD!!! NOT MY RAMEN!!!" Naruto shrieked, causing the hokage to plug up her ears.

* * *

_Currently at the Hyuuga manor . . ._

* * *

"Did you hear th-that, Neji-niisan?" A quiet pale-faced girl with eyes just as white asked.

She paid for the lapse of attention when a hand collided into the side of her arm, blocking her chakra flow.

"Perhaps fate is calling you, Hinata-sama," the older Hyuuga walked over to examine her arm for any excessive damage. After seeing none, he continued with their training.

"M-m-maybe."

* * *

_ Back at the Hokage's Office . . ._

* * *

"THAT'S INSANE!! HOW THE HELL DID YOU EVEN MANAGE COME UP WITH SUCH A STUPID IDEA? HOW ARE YOU GONNA GET RID OF ALL THE RAMEN IN KONOHA?!!!" He paused, his screaming wearing him out before continuing normally. "I don't believe you and there ain't no way that I'm living with that bastard," the blonde grinned idiotically, proving his point.

"SHIZUNE, CAN YOU GET THE PAPERS TO OUT RAME-"

"NO!" The small boy waved his hands in defeat. 'Damn, I forgot the stupid woman was hokage. He breathed in heavily, slumping to the ground and surrendering to her demands.

"It's not going to be that bad, kid." Tsunade added to ease the troubled young man enveloped in self-pity.

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one who's going to be living with a suicidal, probably homicidal as well, maniac."

The blonde woman coughed, asking for the boy's undivided attention. "There is another thing that I want you to do as well." She coughed again. "Look at this as a mission now, Naruto. I have a request. You must fall in love with Sasuke-kun, create a bond with him."

The boy's eyes widen comically. 'Is she perverted?'

"What are you retarded? I'm a guy! He's a guy! That's sick! I want to wring his scrawny sad little neck . . ." he continued on with other threats of bodily harm to the raven-haired boy. He finished with a loud evil chuckle.

"You done yet?"

"Yeah. I had to get that out of my system."

"Okay. Well then, you don't have to actually fall in love with him. Fake it. Pretend that you love him. I don't care. Just make sure that he cares deeply for you."

"Why can't I just be his friend? Isn't that enough?" He asked. The idea of him becoming the other boy's lover was ludicrous.

"I know that you are his best friend. You're the closest person to him, probably the only person he has ever opened himself up too. However, this bond wasn't strong enough to stop him last time. You brought him home this time, proving that he still has feelings for you. Don't you want him to stay in this village? If you cared about him, do this much for him, Naruto." The Godaime explained as she gathered her files that were currently scattered on the ground.

"I have no choice, do I?"

"No, no you don't, kid." She watched the blonde become lost in thought. 'He probably already has feelings for you, but just doesn't know.' She observed the small sixteen-year-old's face. The boyish face that he had possessed in his earlier years had become refined, much more feminine. His golden hair was still as untamed as ever, and at the same time, softer as well. Locks fell just over his eyes, not fully covering orbs of brilliant cerulean. Eyes that had suffered, and yet still held so much hope and dreams. He looked like an angel, and he was. He was her angel.

Naruto ruffled his blonde hair, contemplating on another option. It was safe to say that he didn't come up with anything. What he did for ramen sometimes.

"Fine."

"Tsunade-bachan?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

His sober expression told her something was wrong. "I don't know how long it will last. It's sealed, but I don't know how long it will take until it's open again."

So it had come to that. She stared empathetically into his dull blue eyes. "You've sacrificed so much, Naruto. I don't think the village could ever understand how much you've given up."

"When I become Hokage, they'll learn how awesome I am," Naruto grinned goofily.

She chuckled softly. "You'll tell me if it progresses any further, you understand?"

"Its not going to be that bad," a voice cut in and adding. " You might find yourself in a very compromising positi . . . . errr . . . situation."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Two blonde people screamed loudly, surprised by the man's sudden appearance. Only one was allowed any time to respond.

* * *

_ Earlier................... _

* * *

Tsunade, the great Godaime, recently pulled from a very important . . . nap was none too happy in all honesty.. In fact, she should have created a law before she even took office. ABSOLUTELY NO ONE WAS ALLOWED TO DISRUPT HER WHILE SHE WAS DOING WORK . . . like while she is sleeping.

Her displeasure was clearly written across her face as she glared at the silver-haired jounin, stood cooly in front of her

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei?" Tsunade grated through her teeth.

"Perhaps you have noticed that Uchiha Sasuke has been returned to the village for a period of almost a week, Tsunade-sama, and I would like to purpose-"

"He will not be tending to any missions any time soon Kakashi-sensei," The fifth hokage of Konoha announced, not bothering covering up the bitterness in her voice. It was still much too soon to accept the so-called Uchiha 'prodigy' back into society, even though the village elders had freed him of any penalties. Naruto had nearly died trying to bring the raven-haired boy back from Orochimaru. It was still much too early. The events were still fresh in the mind of everyone. The majority of the people in the village not even blaming Sasuke for making the decision to run away. Naruto, himself, smiled and collapsed when he arrived at the gates of the village, a wide grin as fatigue took over.

_"I brought him back, Tsunade-bachan."_

There was no second thought about whether he was going to die or not, just the welfare of the other boy. He never blamed the other boy. She, on the other hand, couldn't afford to be so forgiving. She felt as though darkness still clutched at the stoic boy, almost unrelenting. She snapped back from her thoughts when she heard a soft cough, remaining her of another presence in her office.

"I assure you, that's not the case, Tsunade-sama."

She snorted loudly. "I can't hook you up with Jiraiya for public bathroom peep shows."

Kakashi brightened up (it's rather hard to read his facial expression . . . with his one eye). He shook his head with furiously. "That would greatly be appreciated but alas that is not the reason for this meeting. I feel as though Sasuke has still not returned to his right state of mind, disregarding his normal angst-driven, drama queen-like behavior."

Tsunade watched the other man continue to bob his head up and down, only half paying attention to what he was saying. His hair remained perfectly straight up and in the exact same angle, regardless of gravity. 'I wonder how much gel that takes,' she wondered before addressing the problem at hand.

"And how exactly are we suppose to fix that? Lock him up in a nut house? As much as I'd like to have half of the village to be destroyed again, I'd rather stay away from the brat." Sasuke was beyond even her hands now. That wasn't to say that she was scared of him . . . of course not!

"We have a person develop some kind of relationship with him," Kakashi suggested.

Tsunade looked at the jounin in front of her. She brought her hands up to rub her aching temples gently. 'Why the hell didn't they lock him up in a mental institution?'

"No."

"Naruto."

"WHAT?"

"Naruto."

"WHAT?"

"Naruto."

"WHAT?"

The ever-graceful hokage knocked over all of her files off the desk, and sending a show of white papers. She choked on her laughter. "What the hell are you thinking? They'll rip each other's throats out before the end of the week is over. Why the hell would you want Naruto to be an escort of Uchiha Sasuke? Are you mad? No, don't answer that question. I already know the answer. I'll have to say –"

"Before you reject my suggestion, please listen carefully to my explanation, Tsunade-sama. Who's to say that Sasuke won't leave again? After all, he left his village, his friends, everything, the first time and was not supervised. Naruto finally brought him back after all these years, with a heavy cost to pay. The demon inside of him couldn't heal half of his wounds after the battle. How much damage can his small body take at one time before he completely gives out? Naruto does have a limit. He's human. Revenge is also still in the boy's mind. His brother is not dead yet and Akatsuki is becoming stronger and stronger each day. Having Naruto become that special person will allow him to stop Sasuke if he thinks of leaving again. They will grow to share a special bond that no one will be able to replace."

Tsunade sighed. The man did bring up some very good points. Perhaps this will allow the raven-haired boy to come to his old self, and some extra protection around the brooding boy wouldn't harm anyone. Personally, she couldn't tell the difference. The quiet boy returned to his solitude so after Naruto had brought him home. He was still as social as a dead log before, and four years later had done nothing to make him any more talkative.

"You can always use this opportunity to assess the potential of Naruto becoming the future hokage. Set them up to a few situations that would test his wits, patience, and strength as well." Kakashi added in quickly.

She gave up, sighing tiredly. "Fine."

'Maybe this time around he'll understand his mistakes.' Kakashi silently prayed as the welfare of his former students laid out before him.

* * *

_ Flashback ends . . ._

* * *

"If anything happens to him, you'll answer to me, do you understand?" Tsunade warned the jounin as he placed the unconscious body into a box. "Uh, are you wrapping him up?"

"Yup! It's going to be Sasuke's present since it's his birthday today." He answered, hastily throwing the orange wrapping around the box. He poked small holes to provide some breathing space for the blonde.

She sweat-dropped as he dragged the box out of her office on his back. "I'll see you later, Tsunade-sama. Wish me lots of luck!"

* * *

"Sasuke, open the door!" Kakashi cried out with a large wrapped package by his side.

Uchiha Sasuke glared at his door darkly. The female population had been very persistent with their happy birthday wishes. Grunting loudly, he pushed the first entrance open to meet his former teacher, Hatake Kakashi.

"What do you want?" He said frigidly, not wanting to talk to the jounin. What did the other man want? He wasn't in the mood to hear the consequences of his actions.

"I'm delivering a present from Hokage-sama. I wouldn't throw it away if I were you."

"Yeah, sure whatever." He slammed the door shut once the parcel was handed off to him.

The stoic young man sat on the ground, eyeing the present warily. The box was currently sitting in his living room. He was still wondering whether to open it or not. The wrapping and bow were strange looking as is. The bright orange wrapping clashed horribly with the navy blue ribbon that held the horrible wrapping together. Evidently, the Hokage was no gift-wrapping master. 'What the hell is in this thing?'

He moved to tug the bow aside and rip the paper. His patience evaporated when he realized that the blonde woman was extremely anal. EVERY SQUARE INCH OF THE BOX HAD TO BE CAREFULLY WRAPPED IN PAPER AND DUCT TAPED PERFECTLY!

'Finally!' He pulled the lid off the box open, meeting a pair of bright blue eyes peeking out at him.

"WHAT THE HELL?"

_

* * *

To be continued . . ._

* * *

A/N: Yes I know this is almost the same chapter, but I've decided to rewrite the entire story and take it in a different direction. It's almost identical in many ways but I think ill like it better if the majority of the characters weren't so out of character. One final note . . . the first events that happened and the next. It's entirely chronological and i've decided to keep the majority of the fic like this. And yes this is the same fanfic as before. Just reamped and a lot more indepth! Looking for someone to beta my story for me please? 

Review please? PRETTTTTTTTYYYYYY PLEASE? CRIES REVIEW?


	2. Remembrance

Disclaimer: I am making absolutely no money out off this fan fiction. Don't sue me. I barely have money to get my ass into college. Naruto isn't mine.

* * *

_The Story of You and I_

* * *

Chapter II: Remembrance

_For everything you gain  
an equal sacrifice must be made.  
Did you sell your soul to achieve  
your forbidden dreams?_

* * *

"What the hell?"

Naruto sent his arms and limbs flailing in all directions. It had been weird waking up in a dark cramped space, now he had to come face to face with the last person he wanted to see. Hell, if he could, he would rather run into Uchiha Itachi instead. Anything was better than Sasuke.

"What are you doing here?"

The blonde stood up clumsily only to fall back onto the ground after tripping on the helm of his robes. Of all the times he could have been gawky, why now? Gathering what little grace he had, Naruto pushed his body into a standing position. He prayed that his legs wouldn't give out again.

"I don't know."

Uchiha Sasuke stared at him, slightly surprised at the answer that the blonde gave him. Perhaps the villagers had sent him to deliver a message. Running a hand through his dark hair, Sasuke waited patiently for a better answer.

"I have to live with you," Naruto muttered through the side of his mouth, avoiding any type of eye contact. "Tsunade-bachan told me that I have to watch you just in case you run away." He fidgeted with the helm of his robe, deciding to leave certain other details out. Dumb as he was, Naruto wasn't stupid enough to speak of Tsunade's plans to the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan. i>'When did I change clothes? That stupid Tsunade-bachan. And I bet Kakashi-sensei had something to do with this too!' /i>

"Are you worried that I'm going to run away? I can't go back to Orochimaru since you brought me back here, even the curse seal no longer works. The villagers have already stripped me of my ninja status. You think I still have the ability to destroy half of the village?" He scoffed, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Naruto watched the raven-haired man stroke his left shoulder where the black symbol was once embedded. A red spiral pattern was now imprinted on top of the once darkened skin. Anger exploded throughout his body. Was that all the Uchiha had to say for his crimes? Had he not repented at all?

After a few moments of silence, someone moved. "Do what you want."

Awkward.

It was awkward. What else could be said about this situation? His blue eyes flew to wooden floors as the footsteps of the other man resounded around him in the darkness of the mansion. They soon retreated into the distance, leaving him alone once more. His body shook in resentment. Uchiha Sasuke hadn't changed at all.

* * *

_-What are you going to do now-_

The blonde hunter-nin stared at the cold bars that restrained the power entity behind it. Fat drops of water sent ripples upon the watery surface of the cell. The air hung heavily around him, red light surrounding the prison. "I don't know. Maybe help him with his goal? I really don't have a goal as of now. I have the recognition I've always sought from the village after saving him, so at least that much of my dreams have been completed."

_-They were happy that the Uchiha child had returned safely, not for your accomplishments.-_

Naruto sighed longingly. Of course, he knew that it was the only obvious reason why they had even bothered to show up for his return. His face dropped as the revelation hit him that he mattered so little to the village.

_-I won't last that much longer, brat.-_

He lifted his face up curiously. That was the decision he had made and there was no regret or doubt whether or not he had done the right thing. "Do you know how much time I have then?"

_-Little.-_

Naruto rolled his eyes at the answer. Leave it to the Kyuubi to give such a precise answer. Small hands fell to touch the fabric covering his stomach. "Fine, but I'll figure out a way then."

_-Why do you so readily accept death for him? Do you not hate him for the pain that he has caused you-_

The answer was simple.

"I don't hate him because he acknowledges me."

* * *

Cerulean eyes shot open, blinking away the remnants of sleep still encrusted in him. The couch creaked under the stress of his weight as he got up. The sound of his rhythmic breathing filled the silent room. He reached down to pick up the black quilt that had fallen to the base of his feet.

Naruto eyed the material in his hands, perplexity spreading itself across the petite face. There wasn't a blanket to provide him with any source of warmth when he had fallen asleep last night.

He groaned loudly when the cold surface of the ground began to penetrate through the soles of his feet. For several minutes he stood still, allowing his brain to thaw and recall what had happened during the previous night. There was Tsunade-bachan, Kakashi-sensei, orange gift-wrap, and black eyes.

Sasuke.

That's right, and he had been forced to stay at Sasuke's house. Reality was very cruel. The sound of a swinging pendulum caught his attention. The clock's hour hand rested upon the number seven which meant that it was only 7:00 A.M. Was it still that early? Usually, he would've stayed lounging around in his bed until at least the sun was high over the village. Waking up early meant having to spend even more time seeing people that he didn't want to see and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

He scratched the back of his head out of bad habit and fell back onto the leather couch. There was no point in doing anything this early in the morning. Besides, it wasn't his house to explore. Remaining in one place was better than getting lost and having the Uchiha prodigy come to his rescue. Without much help, his eyes began to close as sleep crept in.

"Are you going to be following me everywhere now?"

Naruto turned to face a shadowed figure. When did Sasuke enter the room? The sealing technique had probably lowered the majority of his sensory skills. From the looks of it, his sense to detect other's chakra was the first one to go.

He shrugged, not knowing the answer himself. "If you do something out of line then I'll have to kick your ass back into place. It's as simple as that." What's the point of talking to someone that didn't even respond and had a total of three facial expressions?

He yawned childishly and threw the blanket over his head, pretending to fall back to sleep.

* * *

Sasuke glared at the sloppy form sprawled over his couch. His distaste for the blonde intensified with ever single passing second. Turning away, he strode past the confines of his room. Slamming the connecting bathroom door shut, he gazed at the dust-covered mirror. The raven-haired man stared at his dark reflection. Bloodshot eyes peeked out from under the dull black locks of hair.

He frowned lightly, a look of impatience dawning upon his handsome features. After stripping himself of his clothing, Sasuke stepped into the spray of water. The warm liquid came plastering down onto his face, washing away the night's filthiness as his mind began to roam.

So there was a reason to why Naruto was here after all, but the blonde hunter-nin didn't know about it? Somehow, it seemed surreal when he recalled the letter he had read after opening his 'present'. Why would Tsunade think of doing something like this? Of course, Uchiha Itachi would be drawn to the blonde for some unknown reason. But to place Naruto under his so-called protection? Who was to say he wouldn't go ahead and kill the teenager? And he wasn't supposed to speak of such orders to the blonde.

His eyes darkened at the thought of Naruto, the carefree Naruto that had no problems or worries, the Naruto who never thought about anyone other than himself. Forcing him to return home caused a hindrance in his goal of killing Itachi.

Cussing softly, the stoic boy placed his forehead upon the glass surface. Now even the curse seal was useless, all thanks to Naruto. All of the time that he had spent training had gone to waste now that it was sealed away. There had to be a way to open it up again.

This was a game that had to be played carefully.

The bathroom door opened just as he stepped out of the now freezing shower.

* * *

Several years ago he would have given anything to get a reaction out of the seemingly emotionless Uchiha. Insults, yells, smirks, anything to show that the other boy knew of his existence was of value to him. A part of him still yearned for the attention that he had sought for. Somehow, it mattered most if Sasuke called him worthless or stupid. It didn't matter whether or not others acknowledged him, just Uchiha Sasuke.

Naruto's gaze remained glued to his feet as he made his way to the bathroom, allowing the sound of falling water to guide him to his target. First things first though, he really wanted a shower. The smell of antibiotics and dried up blood from his week old wounds were making him slightly light headed. The navy blue yukata had to go as well. It resembled something that Tsunade might have worn in her early teens, and from what he knew of her, that was a long time ago.

Without a second thought, Naruto pushed the door at the end of the hallway open. A blast of steam fogged his vision. As it cleared up, he immediately wished it hadn't.

"HOLY SHIT!"

Uchiha Sasuke stood naked as the day he was born; strands of hair still damp from the shower, sending droplets of water trickling down his pale lithe form. The other man glared at him coldly. He remained unmoving, not bothering to cover up his indecent exposure to the blonde.

The faired-haired boy immediately closed the door and ran back into the living room. There were many things Uzumaki Naruto wanted to see throughout his short life, and a naked Uchiha was not one of the sights on his rather lengthy list. He peered down and snapped back up. Damn, the bastard was better endowed than he was. Was there anything that wasn't perfect about the prodigy?

"I've permanently been blinded," Naruto mumbled, rubbing his eyes as though it would undo the event.

A loud cracking sound was followed by a heavy shower of rain from the outside world. Sighing loudly, the blonde pushed the adjoining door and walked out to the Uchiha courtyard. If he had learned anything, it was that Uchiha Sasuke did not need several million rooms. How much space does one guy even need?

He reached out to catch a few droplets of rain, hearing the wind chimes clank softly in the background. The cool fluid felt like heaven as it flowed down his hot skin. Rain water was water too, wasn't it? Maybe he should just take a shower right there.

"I can't even take a shower without you following me?"

Naruto flushed angrily, turning back to snap at his lifelong rival. "Believe me that was something I'd rather not have seen at all!"

Sasuke stared at him, watching him silently without any words. Feeling unnerved, the blonde pushed passed the stoic boy. "You are so creepy."

_Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock_

Naruto ran to the front door, still feeling the emotionless onyx eyes following the back of his head. The loud plitter platter of the raindrops beat upon the rooftops of the dark mansion as he pulled the door open. Who could possibly be visiting the bastard this early in the morning?

"Hey, Naruto! I just stopped by to give you some medication. You've been dressing them properly, haven't you?" Not waiting for his answer, Sakura made her way into the house as if knowing the exact location of her destination.

"Um, nice to see you too, Sakura-chan." Naruto followed the pink-haired girl into the house.

A loud squeal indicated that she had found what she had came for.

"SASUKE-KUN!"

He sniggered as the medical-nin grabbed Sasuke into a death-grip embrace.

Sakura stepped back and examined the facial expressions of both boys. A look of confusion dawned upon her face.

"What?" They asked in unison.

She chuckled gleefully from their response, "The two of you always had so much in common. It's great to have you back, Sasuke-kun. I wanted to wish you a 'Happy Birthday' but I guess you already got one." She eyed Naruto playfully. "He makes a very nice gift, don't you think?"

Naruto blinked comically, not fully grasping the connotations behind her words. What was that supposed to mean? It was bad enough that he had to live with the bastard. "I am nothing like him!"

"Actually I'm here to tell you something, Naruto. I tried to get you out of this, since you're not completely healed yet. Neither is Sasuke, but it seems as though the village heads have decided to send you on another mission." Sakura explained. She wasn't quite sure why they needed to send him out in the first place.

Naruto had been declared a hunter-nin a year ago after passing his examinations. When she had asked him why he had chosen that profession and not Anbu, his reply was simple.

_It isn't my job to decide who dies and who lives, Sakura-chan. I think that human lives are much too fragile to be taken away like that and that's my Ninja way!_

_But you'll have to kill as well. You're a hunter-nin now, Naruto._

_I know, but I still won't kill anyone. I became a hunter-nin to bring back Sasuke and others who have lost their way in life._

That made sense since she couldn't imagine Naruto being a cold-blooded killer in the first place. And yet it seemed as though all of the worse cases were thrown his way. His missions always ranged from level 'B' and up. These missions were usually reserved for jounins and the Anbu force. Naruto was a chuunin-level hunter-nin.

The blonde's mood took a direct turn after hearing his friend mention the word 'mission'. If he had to stay at the Uchiha mansion, then he might as well busy himself with something to keep his mind off of the abnormal prodigy.

"I'll accept it! Tell me what I have to do, Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried happily.

The pink-haired girl nodded, pulling a yellow package. "They want Sasuke-kun to come with you on this mission as well."

"WHAT?"

There went his plan of being alone.

"Well, it says here that they are going to test Uchiha Sasuke's loyalty by having him accompany you on this mission. It's too bad that I can't come with the two of you. I also have a big mission coming up as well in the Village of the Sand." She handed the package to Sasuke and excused herself.

"I'll see you two later? Take care of him, Naruto."

Sasuke grunted out in irritation at the thought of Naruto being able to take care of anyone other than himself.

"Yeah," the blonde agreed, although too wrapped up in the upcoming mission to worry about anything else. That would mean Sasuke and he would be stuck on the mission together, alone. His defenses were still inadequate so there was still a chance that the other boy could attack him at any moment's notice. Didn't the village elders know that?

Of course they did. They just didn't give a damn at all. It was a risky undertaking upon their part, but if Uchiha Sasuke didn't do anything that they would label 'traitorous', then it was safe to assume that the raven-haired youth was on his path to atonement.

"Get dressed."

Sasuke glared at the blonde. "If you haven't noticed, dobe, I am dressed."

Naruto cursed at himself. Why couldn't he be in command for a change? "Fine, whatever. Just get ready. I'm going to read over the mission details and we'll depart tonight."

"You can read?" The taller boy asked, sarcasm leaking from his voice.

His fingers crumbled the forms in his grasp, "Shut up, bastard."

* * *

The rest of the day flew by without interruptions which left Naruto extremely cranky. Dinner was a mundane affair. They ate and said little.

"WHAT ARE YOU, MUTE?"

The abrupt shriek caused Sasuke to sputter his miso soup all over the other boy. He glowered frostily at the annoyed hunter-nin. What the hell did he want now? Not only had his privacy been robbed, now his peace was at risk too?

"No."

"FOR GOD SAKES, UCHIHA SASUKE JUST SPOKE!" The blonde screamed, his voice echoing down the large hallways.

"There's nothing to say between the two of us. At least I have nothing to say to you." Sasuke stood up and placed the finished bowl into the sink.

"You really haven't changed, you know that? I guess being with Orochimaru didn't help much with your social skills, huh?"

"I see you're the same loser as always." The taller boy retorted.

"OH YEAH?" Something inside of him shattered.

"Yeah."

"AT LEAST I DIDN'T RUN OFF TO BECOME SOMEONE'S BITCH! AT LEAST I DIDN'T BETRAY MY FRIENDS, UCHIHA!"

Silence echoed warily after his words were released.  
"I'm bored." Naruto muttered, his spoon spinning around in the cooling soup.

Sasuke stared at him. First the blonde screams and then he declares that he's bored? Dealing with Naruto was like taking care of a four-year-old. "And what am I supposed to do? You hate me and I hate you. I don't like talking so deal with it."

"I don't have to, bastard!"

"…"

Naruto slammed his foot onto the ground childishly. Why did he have to be the one stuck with Sasuke? If the boy didn't kill him, boredom would.

"What have you been doing?" The question surprised himself as much as it had surprised the blonde.

"Not much. I became a hunter-nin a year ago. Afterwards, I continued to search for you. Not that you would care or anything," Naruto explained. He didn't know where the questions were leading to.

"Why do you want to save me so much?"

That was a strange question, wasn't it? Why did he want to save Sasuke so badly? "It's because I made a promise to Sakura-chan to bring you back to her."

The stoic boy studied the blonde as he made his way around the kitchen to place his dirty plate into the sink. "Is that the only reason?"

"Yes, it is." But unknown to himself, his blue eyes betrayed how he truly felt.

"You're lying."

"Shut up, bastard. I'm going to pack now so leave me alone!"

Sasuke hadn't missed the look of pain and hurt that had flashed through the blue eyes. A mask upon a mask. There was something that Naruto wasn't telling him.

* * *

Due to his consistent whining, Sasuke had finally given him a room other than the couch. From the looks of it, the room hadn't been occupied in a very long time. It wasn't furnished with anything fancy, just the basic necessities of everyday life.

He flipped through the papers, reading every single detail carefully. They had to travel to the Wave Country and meet up with their client, Usagi Junko, and then take her to the Village of the Sand. 'Maybe we'll even run into Sakura-chan then.'

He stared at the reflection that the mirror provided. There was no way he was going to wear what Uchiha Sasuke had worn during their genin days. Then again it was either the blue clan shirt or the yukata. There wasn't much of a choice for him. The shirt draped loosely around his shoulders; the white shorts were baggy around his waist. "I officially look like an idiot."

"You always look like an idiot, usuratonkachi."

"You know what, Uchiha? Fuck you." He turned to pick his backpack up.

"I'm sure you'd like to do that."

Naruto blushed a brilliant red for the second time that day. What the hell did that mean? There was no way he just heard what he thought the raven-haired man had said. "I DO NOT! AND HAVEN'T YOU HEARD OF KNOCKING BEFORE YOU ENTER SOMEONE ELSE'S ROOM?"

The raven-haired boy's face remained impassive as he answered. "I could ask you the same question, dobe."

Naruto swiftly pulled the fox mask over his face, leaving only his azure eyes exposed to the world. "Man, why do your old clothes have to look so stupid?"

". . ."

The blonde grumbled loudly, putting the sack across his chest. "Let's just leave now."

* * *

A solitary shape stood under the moon's luminescent light. Gentle shadows covered the dark alleys of the village, a few home lights still on from late hours of work. She watched two figures leap from rooftop to rooftop, heading toward the entrance of Konoha. A tender smile graced her attractive features.

Haruno Sakura gripped onto the railing of the Hokage's tower tightly, her knuckles turning white.

"Please bring the old Sasuke-kun back to us, Naruto."

* * *

To be continued . . .

* * *

A/N: If there are any mistakes in this please email me and tell me what to fix. If it regards grammar or spelling mistakes please go ahead and email me. Thank you to all of those that have stuck with the switching stories. Some of your questions will be revealed in time, I assure you.

Anyway, please review?

Edit: Beta by the lovely Patty aka Sherlockian Slytherin. I Luv you!


	3. Heartbeats on a Falling Star Night

Disclaimer: I am making absolutely no money out off this fan fiction. Don't sue me. I barely have money to get my ass into college. Naruto isn't mine.  
_

* * *

_

_The Story of You and I_

* * *

Chapter III: Heartbeats on a Falling Star Night

_I will place my hopes and dreams upon a wish  
and send them to you upon a falling star,  
Wherever you are, so your dreams can come true  
even without me by your side._

* * *

"So how is he? Did you get to talk to him or anything?" 

Sakura lowered her tea, placing it gently upon the glass table. "He's doing well enough with Naruto. Considering how they could easily shred each other's bodies to bits, I'd say that they're being relatively civil to each other."

"You know, I recently read a study that said that sexually frustrated males usually take it out on the first good-looking thing that walks into their path." Ino felt a sudden feeling of pity flow through her veins. "Sasuke-kun might jump him. Oh, no! Such a bad mental image."

The pink-haired nin nodded in agreement. Spending the majority of his young adulthood with Orochimaru would leave anyone sexually frustrated. The image of a smiling Naruto conjured itself at the corner of her mind.

The hunter-nin's sun-kissed blonde hair fell untamed over his clear cerulean blue eyes. The three whisker marks on each cheek that had once looked odd on that baby face now did everything to accentuate her friend's beauty. His form was nothing like that of the other boys'. The greater part of the rookies had filled out, earning muscles and height as proof of their entrance into manhood. Naruto had somehow grown taller than her but that was the extent of his growth.

Of course, she would be lying if she called her old team mate ugly.

"I'm worried about Naruto now." Sakura whispered worriedly.

Ino nodded in agreement. "Even Naruto would be considered hot in comparison to Orochimaru. Oh gods, you don't think he did anything to Sasuke-kun, do-"

Sakura shook her head seriously to silence the controversial topic. Many had wondered about it and she wasn't going to sit around as numerous people made conclusions of what happened in the span of those four years. It was too shaky a subject to be touched by anyone. She wasn't going to ask any questions until Sasuke was comfortable with talking about it.

Her best friend smiled in understanding. At least Naruto was dealing with Sasuke now. Ino searched for another issue to fill the oncoming stillness. "There's a mission coming up for you then?"

"Yeah, I have to go to the Village of the Sand. Apparently, half of the villagers have caught some kind of bug. There's also a lack of medical-nins there as well."

"There seems to be a shortage of them everywhere now that the war has subsided. At least now, I can be of some help to the world." Her green eyes darkened as the spoon in her cup came to a rest from its previous spiral path.

"Don't start doubting yourself, big fore headed girl. It isn't very becoming of you. So why don't you tell me who's involved in the mission this time around?" Yamanaka Ino sighed inaudibly into her hands. If it wasn't one thing, it was another.

"Well, your boyfriend, Kiba, and Neji are part of the mission."

"I see . . ."

"What is that supposed to mean? I don't like that grin on your face, Ino-pig! It makes you look even uglier than you already are." The pink haired girl declared playfully at the teasing tone of her blonde friend.

Ino searched around for a clock to indicate the time. "Well, its getting late. I have to go home. I have a job as a student-teacher tomorrow so I should really be in bed now."

Sakura escorted her friend to the entrance of the hokage tower. She opened a door quietly, cautious to not wake any of the sleeping occupants within the building.

"So do you have anyone that you're particular to yet?" The blonde-nin asked as she made her way out of the door. "It's still not too early to go out with Lee, you know?"

"I know," Sakura answered quietly before closing the door on her friend's retreating back. She moved to an adjacent window decorated by simple green plants. Somehow, even the wilted leaves appeared to radiate life under the incandescent moonlight. The streaks of light immediately caught her eyes.

_'How pretty, shooting stars. I wonder if they're seeing this too?'_ The notion of them sharing such a scene brought a smile to her face. Her slender fingers reached out to the window, pulling the dull grey curtains closed.

* * *

The tall dark oak trees loomed threateningly overhead of them as the two figures pressed further into the forest. The midnight moon stood high in the pitch-black skies, blessing them with little light through the tiny breaches of the soaring canopies. Usually Naruto wasn't one to accept late night missions due to the fact that they usually interrupted his necessary sleeping hours. 

Dead leaves and broken twigs littered the forest ground. The heavy stench of death had caught his attention earlier. Something inside immediately told him to bring his guard up. Sasuke had followed him in the same fashion. He paid close attention to the slightest movement or sound around them.  
Although, all of his caution soon came to waste…

They had been wandering aimlessly for what seemed to be more than four hours. Four long, extremely tedious hours in his opinion. The identical foliage and vegetation only provided further evidence that they had somehow accomplished the impossible.

Naruto and Sasuke were lost.

Or, at least Naruto was lost. Not that he was going to actually admit this out loud. Sasuke was not being of any assistance either. Would it hurt if the other man crack a smile or, god forbid, start a conversation that didn't consist of the words 'dobe' and 'usuratonkachi' somewhere in his sentence?

Sure, he had long ago become adapted to traveling by himself; however, he would usually talk to himself to relieve him of his boredom. He turned his head to glare at the taller boy. Speaking aloud right now would make the other shinobi think he was crazy.

Well, at least the weather had chosen to be affable to his current situation. If there was anything to be grateful for, it was the weather.There was a slight summer breeze that trotted around them through every nook of the forest. The sky was clear of all dark clouds, bestowing them with light to illuminate their path. However, the blonde also began to overlook their so-called 'good luck.'

His fox mask was doing little to alleviate his growing annoyance. Evidently it was designed for daytime wear only, making it nearly impossible to see where he was walking. Naruto pushed the mask up, trying to bring his vision back into focus. It was about time he get a new one, but there a few disadvantages to being poor. The straps were beginning to wear out from all of the harsh conditions it had endured.

There was also the fact that his heightened senses weren't...well...they weren't what they use to be. A part of him realized that the mask was only a temporary scapegoat for the obviously larger problem. Things were falling out of his hands faster then he had expected.

"Stupid mask." Naruto cursed in frustration. They were traveling around in circles. Already the mission was starting out on the wrong foot.

"Take it off then. There's no one here to see you besides me. You're going to hurt yourself." Sasuke finally commented, watching Naruto constantly shove the fox mask back up was starting to wear on his nerves as well.

Naruto turned to glare immaturely at his company. Leave it to Uchiha Sasuke to act pompous. Just as he was about to rebut, Sasuke's prophecy came true.

Time seemed to stop for the two as Naruto collided comically into the side of a well-hidden tree. The blonde staggered backward from the impact of his collision.

_-Idiot-_

"What the fuck did you just call me?" Naruto screamed.

Black eyes blinked perplexedly. What the hell was the blonde complaining about? "What do you want now, dobe?".

Naruto suppressed the oncoming urge to slaughter his childhood rival. Wasn't it bad enough that they had managed to lose their way in the dark forest?  
Did Sasuke really have to start pushing his buttons now of all times?

"Watch it, bastard." The hunter-nin warned.

Naruto suddenly tripped over a hidden root, colliding into the clammy soil with a low thud. His left leg twisting abnormally in the process. The blonde cursed colorfully, ripping his mask away and tossing it aside. He gripped the damp earth in effort to gain some semblance of balance to stand up. The pain intensified to new level as he crumbled backward.

Uchiha Sasuke remained at a loss for words as he watched the blonde flounderhopelessly around upon the ground in front of him. How on earth did this idiot manage to bring him back from Orochimaru? He wondered about that sometimes. . .

Frowning, he reached over to help the smaller blonde up. "Are you dead, dobe?"

The blonde rolled his blue eyes in response.

Obviously not.

"Just get on, okay? I don't want you to become even more of a burden to me than you already are," Sasuke crouched down, offering his back to the wide-eyed blonde.

There as a brief moment of silence as the smaller boy inhaled deeply, filling him with the necessary oxygen to complete his next task.

"OH, YEAH? YOU JUST THINK I'M WEAK NOW JUST BECAUSE I CAN'T WALK BY MYSELF, DON'T YOU? WELL, FOR YOUR STUPID FREAKING INFORMATION I'M JUST FINE WITHOUT YOU WORRYING YOUR PRETTY LITTLE HEAD AWAY, SO WHY DON'T YOU JUST STAND UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO TAKE ANY MORE OF YOUR SHIT AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BECAUSE I SWEAR IT'S BAD ENOUGH I'M STUCK WITH YOU FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG AND BELIEVE ME, I'M NOT VERY HAPPY WITH IT EITHER-"

"Are you done yet? I'm leaving."

"YOU HAVE SOME NERVE! OH, YOU BETTER GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE SO I CAN KICK IT ALL THE WAY TO THE MOON AND BACK BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU'RE AFRAID OF ME. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT YOU WALK AWAY AND YOU KEEP ON WALKING. WAIT…. WAIT, ARE YOU TRYING TO RUNAWAY AGAIN? GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE BEFORE I-"

_-God, I'm getting a headache! Shut up already, brat-_

Naruto snapped his head back in surprise at the low raspy voice echoing inside of his head. On second thought, it didn't sound like Sasuke at all. He fervently wished that he wasn't going insane. At least not now of all the times.

The taller boy snorted and kneeled back down in front of the other ninja, examining the sprained ankle. His nimble fingers moved on top of the flesh; careful not to cause any more hurt then was crucial. "Does it hurt a lot?"

Biting his tongue to prevent a sarcastic remark from seeping through his lips, Naruto shook his head in response. His blue eyes narrowed into fox-like slits, as the raven-haired boy offered to carry him once more. The pale arms stretched out wordlessly.

_'Pride or pain, Uzumaki Naruto, pride or pain.'_

Contemplating his options, he sighed in defeat before throwing his arms, albeit reluctantly, around the stoic nin. "Just for the record, I didn't ask for your help so don't go bragging in that 'I'm-Uchiha-Sasuke-kiss-my-ass' tone of yours."

"Whatever," Sasuke said dismissively. "Just get on so we can start finding a way out of this place. I don't even know how you could even survive by yourself."

Without answering, Naruto lifted a small hand to the dark boy's face, his hand forming a rude finger gesture in response.

"It's weird."

Naruto propped himself up to announce to the other boy that he was at attention. So Uchiha Sasuke wasn't mute after all. "What is?"

"Why did you get a mission so early after your return to the village?"

There was no point in speaking any more than was needed. The stoic boy was always like that, always curt and direct, Naruto observed. Mulling over the suddenness of the mission, he also had to agree. "It's nothing new. They always give me a new mission after I've accomplished one. I don't really think much about it, really. Each mission brings me closer to becoming the hokage so I don't care how many missions they give me. I'll beat them all."

"It isn't a game, usuratonkachi," Sasuke frowned slightly. 'So this isn't anything new to the dobe.' He shook his mind to relieve himself of any worries for the blonde. It wasn't his problem. He had his own problems and motives.

Silence settled in the wake of Sasuke's heavy footsteps resonated softly throughout the dark forest. As time pressed on, he took note of how the tree tops began to admit more of the moon's light. They were nearing the edge of the forest from the looks of it.

A small gasp in his ear broke his concentration.

"The stars are falling, Sasuke! We have to find cover before they hit us!"

He shifted the weight on his back to sustain his balance before turning his dark eyes to the heavens for a moment. The sight of small glowing specks in the sky descended over the high covers of the trees. "They're not going to hit us, usuratonkachi."

"Huh?"

"They're falling stars, wishing stars." Sasuke explained, turning his head back down to continue his stride through the barren forest. However, instead of paying attention to where he was going or glancing about for any foreign chakra, the dark nin focused on the blonde hunter-nin riding on his back.

Naruto squeezed his arms around the taller boy's pale neck, urging him to finish his thoughts."Go on. I've never seen them before."

Sasuke was quiet for a second. The closeness of the blonde's breathing tickled his ear. When he spoke, his words came out soft and fast, as though it was something he'd rather not share at all. "My mother once told me that if you make a wish on a falling star, your wish would come true. I think it's stupid to rely on some piece of falling rock to make your dreams come true. The only type of person who believes in trash like that is an idi-"

"I'll believe in it!" Naruto exclaimed innocently. An enormous smile began to root itself upon the blonde's fox-like face. His sapphire eyes glowed brilliantly as the falling pieces of nova scattered themselves in all directions.

The blonde grinned characteristically, patting the dark locks next to him playfully,"Besides, you don't have to be so dull and boring all the time, you know? Live a little! Breathe a little!"

"Technically I am living and breathing. If I lived like you, I'd be dead." Sasuke muttered edgily. "And don't pat me again or I'll drop you."

"I want to make a wish right now! I want to become the next hokage so I can be acknowledged by everyone and the whole village will know how strong I am!" He declared loudly, disrupting their strangely serene atmosphere with his pealing laughter.

"Like I said only idiots would believe in something so stupid," A smile ghosted itself upon Sasuke's face, only to be hidden by his dark bangs. "But I guess you're a dobe, so nothing I say will matter anyway."

"Shut up, it's not like you didn't believe in it either!" His voice fell to a soothing hush as he continued, "At least you had a mother to tell you such things. If your mother said it's true, then you should believe in what she told you. I would if my mother told me that . . ."

And that was the last thing Naruto said before his breathing eased away into sleep while Sasuke pressed on, breaking the edge not too long after dawn passed and the stars ceased in their tumble across the rosy skies.

"Maybe I still do, dobe," The words falling on deaf ears, gliding away with the remains of the summer night.

* * *

It was morning when they arrived at the closest village. The sun stood high above them in the clear blue sky. The idea of the weather always working in their favor brought a jovial smile to his face. He didn't want to see another forest for as long as he lived. 

Naruto stretched his limbs in a catlike fashion, working out sore bones and knotted muscles in the process. Wincing as a shock of pain hit him, the blonde lowered his face to examine the yellow bruises that were forming on his ankle. The swelling had lessened to some degree, allowing him to walk once again.

The hunter-nin turned to the sign overhead, reading it out loud. "Ofuku Village? There was a village named Ofuku around here? How come I didn't know about it?"

Sasuke sighed inwardly, his patience wearing thin from dealing with the blonde. "That's because it says 'Okiwa', moron."

"Listen, Sasuke-bastard. I don't need you to tell me what it says. I know how to read perfectly well, you know?" The blonde growled and walked into the gates of the village with what little pride he had left still intact.

Naruto pulled his fox mask over his face. Better safe than sorry and they were in a different village so there was always a chance that someone would figure out who they were. "Don't do anything out of place, Sasuke. Keep your Sharingan to yourself. We don't want to have anyone realize that you're Uchiha Sasuke."

The stoic-nin rolled his eyes in response to the warning. How was the dobe going to tell him to lay low and then walk around with a blatant hunter-nin mask on his face? "You're going to look really stupid with that mask on in the village."

The shorter boy hissed out but said nothing else as they made their way through the crowded streets. There wasn't anything considerably out of place. As a matter of fact, it resembled Konoha in almost every aspect. The aroma of food from stands permeated the air, causing his mouth to water. How long had it been since he had a decent meal? Food was his first priority now that they have arrived in a civilized location. His stomach grumbled in support.

After a few steps, it became apparent that certain eyes were watching them with intentness. In any case, ramen first, Naruto thought to himself. But their intent staring was becoming more and more noticeable. He quickened their pace through the winding streets in search of refuge. An inn would be their best choice.

"Blend in, Sasuke. You're catching their attention. Damnit, I didn't know that you would stand out that much." He whispered underneath his breath.  
They had barely taken a few steps and a circle of civilians had already begun to form around them. Attacking the crowd was completely out of the question. That would attract even more attention.

Naruto listened carefully as their voices penetrated through the packed streets.

"How strange…."

"Indeed."

"That man is very good-looking, though.'

'What? All they can think about is how good-looking Sasuke is?'

"Ahh…it is that ninja that is weird."

"Yes, perhaps we should get someone to investigate this problem."

"Isn't she kind of old to be playing ninja?"

"WHAT?" The blonde hunter-nin screamed incredulously. This wasn't exactly the reaction he had expected. Naruto turned to glare at the scoffing raven-haired boy behind him. "Shut up, bastard."

"I'm not even going to say 'I told you so.'" Sasuke pushed his way through the tightly-packed crowd.

Naruto pulled his mask off and threw it into his sack. It was one thing to add injury to the insult but…..did someone just call him a girl? "MAN, I SHOULD JUST KICK THEIR ASS!"

He felt his hand get jerked away from the thickening horde. The smaller boy grudgingly followed after his rival. Fine, so the bastard had been right. It wasn't a good idea to wear the fox mask. Not that he was going to admit that out loud either. "Stupid people calling me a girl . . ."

* * *

Naruto leaned back to stare at the lone moving bodies from the inn window. The cushioned chair squeaked in protest as he pushed it onto its two sharp hedges, leaving deep scratch marks upon the ceramic tiles. Flicking the small oil lamp on, he read over each line carefully before tucking the mission papers away into the confines of his sack. Small hands drew forth to draw the fluttering window curtains even further apart. Big azure eyes stared blankly at the vast expanse of the starry sky as each star beckoned each other to dance together. 

The new plan was to stay out of the public eye after all of the interest that he had accidentally sparked. Naruto sighed as he threw the empty sack of money onto the desk, being low on money also meant that he had to share a room with his rival. He had asked Sasuke to fork over some money for a better room, but the bastard proved to be as stingy as he was stoic. Life was so unfair. Naruto had learned that much from all of his years alive.

The sixteen-year-old ninja stumbled clumsily onto his bed, wary of the series of scrolls and odd kunai sticking out from under the sheets that he had haphazardly thrown upon their arrival.

He was used to traveling alone so the addition of a new companion was still awkward. He had worked hard, managing to gain nods of approval here and there since becoming a hunter-nin. Every mission pushed him closer to accomplishing his larger-than-life dream.

_It's too risky to give the demon this much power. He might use it to destroy the village if we are not careful._

_'I won't do that. I'm not the Kyuubi. All I need is a chance to prove myself.'_

_Perhaps he had changed? Admitting him will provide us with a huge asset to the village. We are already running dry on the number of talented hunter-nins. No one is able to bring back Uchiha Sasuke._

_'I'll take any mission. I'll work day and night.'_

_Yes, bring back the Uchiha prodigy is top priority as well. We can't spare any other ninjas now that the war is in progress._

The room's door creaked open, derailing his train of thought. The neon orange light from the hallways filtered into their dark room as the figure behind the door entered.

Suddenly he found his mouth dry at the sight of his rival at the entry of their room. "HAVE SOME SHAME, BASTARD! I'M BEGGING YOU! FOR GOD'S SAKE, PUT ON SOME CLOTHES!" The blonde screamed, blushing a bright pink hue from both his earsplitting excursion and embarrassment.

Drops of water trickled down the pale creamy expanse of his rival's chest.The strains of black hair clung seductively onto the sides of the sharp face, some falling into the long lashes. All of the training Sasuke endured was currently very evident. His body was also lithe, very much like Naruto, but on the other hand, it was taller. To his chagrin, Naruto had to admit that the bastard had a lot more good fortune growing up than he had.

"I'm not telling you to look, dobe."

Naruto squealed loudly, causing Sasuke to clasp his hands over his ears. Damn, hadn't the blonde entered puberty already? It should be made illegal for anyone to have such a high pitched voice. Horror struck him as the realization of the fact that he was going to be dealing with this day in and day out hit home.

Death couldn't come in a worse form.

"YOU ARE A PERVERT! YOU DIDN'T WALK AROUND LIKE THIS WITH OROCHIMARU, DID YOU? NEVER MIND, DON'T ANSWER THAT! IF YOU DIDN'T, THEN DON'T START NOW!"

The raven-haired shinobi glared back at him before replying. "I never told you to look and as far as I'm concerned, walking around shirtless does not make me a pervert. Besides, don't be jealous just because you aren't what you see." Sasuke taunted acidly.

"WHO WANTS TO BE YOU?" The blonde shrieked.

Sasuke shrugged and moved to the futon thrown sloppily onto the floor. It was decided that he was to sleep on the ground. The decision of course being made by the blonde."At least I wasn't mistaken for a girl."

"FUCK YOU, SASUKE! I DO NOT LOOK LIKE A GIRL!" Naruto sneered heatedly. He couldn't understand why Sasuke was even bugging him like this. In all honesty, he had expected the mission to fly by smoothly without any words exchanged between them. They had been separated by their own circumstances and it was only cruel fate that brought them back together. Was he really going to act like nothing had happened in the past?

Blue eyes flew over to the form sprawled gracefully upon the wooden floor.The gentle rise and fall of the lithe boy's chest lulled him out of his thoughts. He turned away when Sasuke's heated gaze fell on him. His childlike features scrunched up as he sought for a fitting insult for the boy in front of him. Doing the only thing that came to his mind, Naruto stuck his tongue out immaturely in retaliation.

"Just go to bed, dobe."

Words could not describe the anger that coursed through the blonde at the present moment. The blonde fought to control his rising temper. He flung the covers over his head and willed himself to sleep, hoping that his dreams would be covered by large amounts of cup ramen as well as different ways to hurt the raven-haired man.

* * *

The sound of cascading water down the damp walls answered any of the questions that Naruto had in mind. No ramen or torturing Sasuke tonight. Naruto sighed as he plopped himself in front of the cell, not sure of the reason for why he was there in the first place. 

"What do you want, Kyuubi?"

The demonic entity emerged as it was beckoned. He watched his host with permanently enraged red eyes. How strange it was that something so small could hold a thing so great. -_Disrupting your SM dreams dealing with Sasuke-_

Naruto flushed brightly at the words. What was the demon going on about now?"NO, FOR YOUR INFORMATION I WAS HAVING A VERY GOOD DREAM ABOUT RAMEN!"

Well, now was a better time then ever to ask the demon of his never-ending list of problems. "Why haven't I been healing properly, Kyuubi? And my senses, they've dropped significantly. Is there away to get them back"

Its evil chuckle boomed around the surrounding walls.

_-Well, it was the destiny you chose so there's no reason why you should be complaining. That Jiraiya told you of the after effects. On the other hand, you're going to be dealing with me more now from now on, brat. So start showing some respect or you might get a few unknown scratches out of nowhere.-_

His blue eyes widened at the threat. That had to be an empty threat. Even with the seal weakened, there was no way the Kyuubi could have any power over him. "I don't know what you're talking about, bastard. Leave me alone!"

_-Unfortunately for you, I can't.-_

What did that mean? His severe annoyance turned into confusion. Tsunade-bachan had told him of all of the effects of his decision. The fox gaining enough power to rid itself of its host was not one bullet point on her list.

The still water rippled furiously as he rushed over to the hellish gates. A fair brow twitched in irritation while his hands gripped the metallic iron bars. No one threatened him. Not even the Kyuubi. "Don't mess with me, Kyuubi. I don't have time for you and I sure as hell won't take any of your crap."

The Kyuubi tutted impassively, escalating his aggravation even further. Naruto fumed inwardly, while his outward glare intensified. "Spit it out, Kyuubi. What is it?"

It wasn't unusual for the demon to act lofty, but its frequent visits were beginning to bother him. Another presence stirred within the prison. The chakra pulled him forward, bringing him closer to the Kyuubi's confinement.

_/Watch your back, Naruto./_

His hold on the bars loosened at the new additional voice. It wasn't the usual sleek baritone voice that shared his body. This voice was foreign to his ears, almost tender in a sense. He swallowed thickly and backed even further away from the cage. Something was happening.

And who was that?

* * *

_To be continued . . ._

* * *


	4. Far Away

Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me!

(Beta'd by Patty)

* * *

The Story of You and I

* * *

Chapter IV: Far Away

_There are questions that I want to ask  
but are left unsaid, like  
where are you going  
And who are you thinking about right now?_

* * *

It was barely dawn when his light slumber was rudely interrupted by faint whimpers issued from the nearby bed. The horizon was still tinged with the night before, creating a sea of blue. A subtle gust of wind blew the previously drawn curtains from side to side, pricking what little skin he had exposed to the naked air. It was dark, probably because the moron had left the window open, allowing the first breeze that entered to blow away any source of light they had. The innkeeper had given them a bare room with only one bed and a small one at that. The room was furnished with a desk that had probably seen even more years than he had.

Sasuke willed himself not to react, hoping that all of the incessant noise would somehow dissolve if he remained quiet long enough. He lifted his head to direct an infamous Uchiha death-glare at the other bed's occupant.

Unfortunately, the groans progressed in volume. Being a shinobi meant being quick on one's feet and mind, and he had trained himself well to adapt should a fight begin without any fair warning. During the war, the Sound-nins were always on the move, so the ability to sleep lightly and to wake up in an instant evidently caught on. Not that he was ever a really heavy sleeper to begin with.

Sasuke snarled loudly at the tossing form sprawled on the bed for the second time. Flinging the flimsy covers aside, he stood up and dusted the wrinkles off of his black pants, adjusting the straps of his arm wrappings, and then proceeded to stomp noisily over to the blonde. Yet, still, the blonde showed no signs of waking. He had treaded heavily across the floor in effort to shake Naruto awake.

He tried to recall all of the meals that they had consumed the night before. Did the blonde eat something that could've caused severe indigestion? But Naruto had the stomach that was seemingly endless, so that couldn't be the case could it? If he could remember properly, they had little to eat and the innkeeper had served them relatively fresh food.

His onyx eyes traced over the trembling face as his legs touched the firm bed.The usually grinning face was contorted in... discomfort? Every few seconds, he would detect a faint red chakra flicker from the sleeping blonde. The air tensed over him as Naruto continued to struggle in his sleep.

Drops of perspiration trickled down the moistened skin, his fair brows were drawn together as though he was enduring some type of indescribable anguish.

Naruto's small hands tensed upon the ragged bed sheets, pulling at them until they were completely torn away from the bed itself. He threw his head from one side to another, the sweat-covered strands of golden hair clung onto the skin of his forehead.

The impassive Uchiha lightly grazed his fingers across the slender neck before encircling the flesh completely. The feeling of utter satisfaction rushed through his veins, while his grip on Naruto's neck constricted with each passing second. The warm sensations warmed his heated blood. How he craved to kill the moron who had stripped away years of his hard work. It wasn't fair! Naruto had no right to rob him of his sole ambition in life.

Sasuke continued to tighten his insistent grip, a maniacal grin marring his handsome features. He felt the blonde's muffled heartbeat hum subtly under the pads of his pale fingers. If any more pressure were to be added, he was sure the blonde's neck would be snapped into two. His impassive eyes sparkled with a deadly lust as he raised his other hand to caress the slender jaw line to the sun-kissed locks and finally to the permanently scarred cheek. While his clutch on the blonde's throat was harsh, his left hand was tender, his touch almost endearing.

Pausing, Sasuke stared coolly at the thrashing red-faced teenager, now unconsciously fighting for air. Naruto's breath was coming in desperate pants, his chest heaving and falling at a rapid speed. It was as though Naruto didn't want to wake up. He had become the predator and Naruto the unsuspecting prey.

He entertained the idea of squeezing the life out of the latent blonde rightthere on the spot. But killing Naruto now wasn't his intention. The secret behind the spiral seal on his previous one was still a mystery. He had to find a cure someway, and going through Naruto was the fastest. 'I'll make him trust me, and then he'll tell me all of his deepest, darkest secrets. Wearing your emotions so blatantly on your sleeves will lead you to your downfall one day, dobe.'

"If you get in my way, I'll have to kill you, Naruto." The conviction in his voice left little to the imagination. If murdering his best friend would bring him one step closer to his goal of killing Itachi, so be it.

"Tell me something, dobe. What do you know about having someone close to you murdered? You don't have anything to lose do you? You never had a mother, so don't feint empathy. You never had a father to praise you for your good work, a family to greet you after a long day. You know nothing about that so how could you possibly understand where I'm coming from? The loneliness which you feel is nothing compared to my own."

_"At least you had a mother to tell you such things. If your mother said it's true, then you should believe in what she told you. I would if my mother told me that . . ."_

"Don't pretend to know what it's like to be lonely, Naruto. We aren't the same. You don't know what it's like to have something precious to you taken away in front of your very eyes. You didn't experience the feeling of helplessness as your own brother massacred his whole clan, his mother and father, without so much as a second glance."

_"I'll believe in it!"_

"What do you want from me, Naruto?" He whispered urgently, wrenching his fingers completely away from Naruto's reddening neck. "Why won't you just leave me alone? I don't need your help and I don't want your pity!"

"..Kyuubi."

His eyes widened partially. A normal person would have missed the virtually inaudible voice, but Sasuke was the furthest thing away from being a normal person. He dropped one knee and lowered himself onto the bed. The additional weight left the bed creaking loudly as he listened intently, hoping to catch some of the blonde's incoherent mumbling. The red lips moved wordlessly once more, offering little or no clues at all except for the frequent 'Kyuubi' or 'Ramen'.

Sasuke knew all about the Kyuubi, how it destroyed Konoha sixteen years ago, and how it took the legendary Yondaime with it. No, what perplexed him was the fact that Naruto even knew about its existence. Events covering the demon were to be kept under wraps and severe punishment was handed to those that dared to speak of the past. Naruto couldn't have learned about it from the villagers and certainly not from Iruka or Kakashi. It wasn't a lesson taught in the Ninja Academy.

And to actually have a dream about it? The rational part of him wanted to hear what was being said. A part of his objective was to get closer to Naruto, learn everything he needed in order to grasp a better understanding of his childhood rival.

But something wasn't right. If he was going to gain any information, it would with a conscious loud-mouth idiot. Some unknown fraction of his soul didn't want to infringe upon the pain that the hunter-nin was experiencing. He knew that he was contradicting himself and that the feeling could almost be deemed a weakness. The stoic-nin pulled away from the bed slowly, his hands jerking away from the warm skin.

He made a decision, although sometime later he would wonder what possessed him to do it.

With a quick flick of his wrist, Naruto was sent flying head first onto the tiled floors. The smaller boy scrambled to sit up, his chest tugging irregularly for much needed oxygen. Confusion was clearly written upon the fox-like face. The blonde shook violently on the other side of the bed as though still battling with the demons within his nightmare.

"Wake up, dobe."

Naruto turned to face him. The normally avid blue eyes were clouded over with fear. As reality settled in, the blonde threw the entangled sheets aside to free his twisted limbs.

The taller youth looked on with curiosity as his rival's hands lingered over his abdomen, drawing invisible spirals upon his clothed flesh. Everything seemed surreal. Was the blonde still sleeping even after that?

"What's wrong now?" Sasuke asked impatiently. "Why is there always something wrong with you? Like the rest of the human population, I actually need energy gained from a good night's rest. Keep in mind that I have to deal with you twenty-four seven the next time you decide to talk in your sleep."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked, not hearing a single word that had been spoken. He was shaking, and even though his brain told him to stop, his body chose to disobey. Not noticing that Sasuke had walked over to him, Naruto continued to be oblivious to the world.

The voice in his dreams remained intact even as he turned to Sasuke. Finallyregaining what little composure he had left, Naruto sent a glare at the Uchiha prodigy. He wasn't sure if he was grateful for the fact that he was no longer terrorized by the Kyuubi or peeved at being awoken so abruptly.

Choosing the latter option, Naruto thrust a forefinger forward. "What the hell is your problem, bastard?"

"Get dressed. There's no point in going back to sleep anymore. We should leave before the villagers wake up."

"Make me!" Naruto climbed onto the bed and stared at the ceiling in silence.

Like hell, Sasuke was going to start barking orders at him now. Even though what the bastard suggested made plenty of sense, he wasn't going to follow any orders from a traitor. "Why don't you just worry about yourself?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes in annoyance and walked out of the room, leaving behind a quietly ragged blonde to stare at the shadowed walls.

The door snapped shut slowly.

He was feeling a little unwell, that much he knew. Only when the sun had completely emerged over the tops of the buildings did he turn his face away from the chipped ceiling. Naruto flinched as he rose from the bed clumsily.

He pulled his hitai-ite from the nightstand and examined the reflection of his neck upon the rusting silver metal. There was a dark red band around his neck that hadn't been there the day before.

Was it the Kyuubi? But that didn't make sense, seeing as how so far all the Kyuubi ever did was give him help whenever he was in any jam. That wasn't to say the demon was a hero, far from it. He remembered the threat of bodily harm from his dreams and shook his head. The Kyuubi's threats were always empty, having no substance behind them.

So that left only the second voice and Sasuke. His mind clicked onto the most likely assailant, Uchiha Sasuke. He couldn't sleep without fear of being assassinated now? Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered to sacrifice so much to bring back an unappreciative twit in the first place.

'I really am a dobe.'

* * *

Nearly a week passed until they arrived at their destination. In Naruto's opinion, the week couldn't have passed by any slower. He never brought up the subject pertaining to the red marks around his neck, although, the thought of it happening again did leave him slightly wary. Convinced that the reasons behind the stoic Uchiha's actions were due to the lack of a bed,he reluctantly gave up his own bed at each inn they proceeded to stay at. He paid heavily with a week's worth of insomnia and back pains. Sasuke, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying his beauty sleep.

Strands of his hair fell into his eyes as the rain poured angrily down upon them. His eyes threatened to close themselves from the blurriness of their surroundings. He took a mental note of how it appeared to rain underneath as the droplets fell with such ferociousness that the fat drops would bounce right back up at them out of pure boredom. Days ago, the sun was shining so hard that he had actually developed a fear of being cooked alive. He had whined to the other ninja about the absurd heat. In return, Sasuke merely responded with the usual 'Are you stupid or something?'

God had heard his complaint and was now damning them with a flood.

"WE'RE HERE!" Naruto threw his hands high up into the air, celebrating the completion of the first half of their mission. His blue eyes read over the sign of the bridge. "In dedication to a dreamer who never stops dreaming, just as our village will keep on dreaming for a better tomorrow. Welcome to the Great Naruto Bridge"

The blonde hunter-nin walked pass the sign, beaming happily. Even the growing pain dancing down his back was starting to lessen and his heavy eyelids were opening once again.

He glanced over his shoulder to observe the taller man walking beside him. It was funny how when they walked across this bridge; they were on much better terms. It was a time when Sasuke would have gladly given himself up to save his important comrades instead of desiring to assassinate them in their sleep. The word 'precious' probably held little meaning to Sasuke now.

Now they just had to deliver their client to the Village of the Sand. That wasn't going to be too hard was it? Of course, a little action wasn't going to hurt either...

Fog obscured his vision so he took care to avoid the edge of the bridge. It wasn't usual for there to be so much fog. After all, it was called the small island was infamous for constantly being covered in thick sheets of clouds, but since when did fog start to clog up one's nose and burn the back of one's mouth? No, this wasn't fog. This was smoke from a recently started fire. A cold chill numbed his body, although he wasn't sure if it was from the additional weight of the water seeping pass his high collared blue shirt or from the feeling of uneasiness that refused to give him any type of peace. "Sasuke, can you see the end of the bridge?"

"You're a ninja. Why don't you start relying on yourself and not me, usuratonkachi?" Sasuke wordlessly summoned his bloodline limit. His black eyes bled and turned into crimson with three dots adorning each pupil. Squinting, Sasuke focused intently on the other side of the bridge and nodded. "It's about twenty feet away."

Sighing, Naruto hurried down the path, hoping that the end of the bridge would also mean the end of his blindness. Thoughts of seeing Inari also pushed him to hasten his gait. An actual conversation was waiting for him. Stopping at Inari's house wasn't too far out of the way of their mission. The little squirt was, without a doubt, taller now, but hopefully not too tall because he would die of humiliation if someone younger than him had become taller than him. Even though Inari was twelve now, he was probably still the same crybaby that he was four years ago. The pleasant memories of his old friend brought a smile to his face, heightening his anxiousness of the possible reunion with his childhood friend. All of his worries were temporarily forgotten.

"I can't wait to meet Inari. I bet you he's all grown up now. Maybe he's even gotten cool like me and became a ninja. What do you think, Sasuke?"

Sasuke shrugged in answer. Honestly, even he was beginning to feel the  
effects of the constant precipitation. The skies had been so grey the past few days that he was starting to wonder if they were ever blue in the first place. His thoughts came to a halt when the shorter ninja stopped unexpectedly in front of him. Naruto's eyes fluttered to rid the droplets of rain, his lungs exhaling deeply to try to stop the growing panic.

Naruto froze up as his feet met the last bricks of the bridge. They were flecked with dark soot. Where as the other villages they had stopped at were bustling with life, there wasn't a single sign of life in the Wave Country. The picture which team seven had left behind wasn't like this at all.

He frowned and drew a small amount of chakra to the soles of his feet before jumping up to the closest tree. Sasuke followed in suit.

Gliding effortlessly from tree to tree, the blonde felt the simmering anxiety in his stomach grow. Tree branches slapped him harshly but he made no move to decrease his speed. The individual green leaves became a splash of emerald. Nothing mattered, not the dangerous footing on the thin branches or the fact that his bones were screaming in protest as a particular low branch had slapped him across the face, breaking the otherwise flawless skin.

He couldn't explain what possessed him to run that fast, fast enough to leave his heart slamming against his rib cage, fast enough to burn the insides of his lungs, fast enough to tear every aching muscle on his body apart from his bones. He stumbled when a particularly large branch slammed into his face, causing blood to mix with the saliva in his mouth. Stars flew in front of his eyes, knocking the breath out of his humming lungs as his mask disintegrated into nothingness.

Sasuke caught him before he tripped, and grabbed on frantically to regain his balance. The taller boy looked at him in question before he pulled away.

"Something's wrong, Sasuke. Can't you feel it?" A childlike voice made its way through his constricted throat, causing even him to become troubled.

Of course he felt it. A person had to be blind in order to not sense the thickness of death that settled on top of the village like an iron curtain. Granted his senses were somewhat distorted from the extreme amount of smog, the stench of blood was as plain as the back of his palm. Adding to the abnormal actions of his blonde companion, Sasuke nodded in agreement. They resumed their furious pace until they arrived at the familiar house that had once belonged to Inari and his family. It was hardly recognizable, with its walls darkened with ash. He wasn't sure if the cabin were going to sustain the weight of two ninjas in its beaten up shape.

Naruto felt his breath suddenly vacuumed from his body as Sasuke landed with a loud thud next to him upon a familiar tin rooftop, but said nothing as he too surveyed the horrific scene lying before them. Everything was burned to pieces. Not even one building had been spared. From the looks of it, neither were the inhabitants of the village.

"What happened? Who did this? Who could do such a thing?" His voice trembled as the raindrops flowed down his tanned cheeks, resembling hot salty tears.

Maybe he was crying.

Did he even know how to?

So lost in grief, Naruto failed to detect the kunai aimed at his head. Had Sasuke not caught it in time, he would have been a dead man. "There's someone here so don't drop your guard, dobe."

The blonde hunter-nin turned his head in the direction of the kunai. His eyes harden with an intense ferocity that Sasuke had never seen before. Naruto spun around to pinpoint the exact location of his hidden opponent from the quavering trees. This wasn't an ordinary adversary that he had on his hands.

His mouth opened to growl primitively, canines biting harshly onto his lips until they drew blood. Without any warming, Naruto jumped from the rooftop, flinging three shurikens into the high branches. A loud yelp was issued and its occupant was sent crumbling onto the muddy earth. He landed not too far from the fallen figure.

The shinobi was far from being defeated as he brushed himself off and tackled the blonde head long into the dirt. Naruto effortlessly dodged the attack, allowing the other ninja a hit before returning it back in full force. His punch connected onto the shorter man with a sickening crunch. The sounds of their raspy breathing, low and deep, were all he heard aside from the plopping echoes of the cold water.

Before Sasuke or the strange ninja could even blink, Naruto had grabbed a fist-full of the man's black shirt and tossed him into the softened dirt. Once again, the young man stood up, ready to battle once more. Inhaling, the blonde ran his hands to form a series of seals, summoning the necessary shadow clones to perform his next technique. A bloodcurdling scream ripped through the air like a razor-sharp kunai.

Spitting the dried blood from his mouth aside, Naruto waited patiently behind the puffs of smoke. The opponent had expertly dispersed all of his clones; however, the hunter-nin didn't miss the first signs of apparent weakness. His pace of the foreigners attacks were no longer confident as he wove to and fro, avoiding the silver shurikens.

The stoic-nin's onyx eyes became fixated with morbid fascination on the raging battle as it played itself out in front of him. His Sharingan spun furiously as it tired to follow the events of the battle. He could barely keep up with the blonde's movement. Where the blonde had once been reckless and bold, he was now the strategist, holding his wit about him in battle. How could he have missed that during their last battle?

And when did Naruto get so strong? The idea made his blood boil to a new level as the taller ninja was struck down. The cool water did little to ease the rising temperatures of his frustrations. Was Naruto really that powerful?

He turned his focus back onto the raging battle. Naruto was obviously holding the upper hand and all too soon, it was over when the blonde found himself on top, straddling his enemy. The figure below him twisted sharply, trying to dismount the heavy weight of the blonde. Naruto showed no signs of wincing as sharp nails dug into his frail arm, leaving behind anger red crescents.

Naruto fought the urge to ram his kunai into the man's heart. His eyes stared feverishly into the black orbs laying underneath him. His shoulder blades ached where the man had audaciously tackled him, the cut in his face stung with renewing ferocity. Yet all he felt was the immense dislike as the squirming continued to consume him. "You did this to them, didn't you? What did they do to you that would lead you to massacre the entire village off?"

"What do you want?" The voice was feeble, fright leaking as each word was uttered.

From what Sasuke saw, their opponent was in dire need of medical attention. Deep cuts tarnished his appearance, some still bleeding profoundly. "I'll die if I have to in order to protect this village." The young man exclaimed proudly. "Go ahead and kill me. I won't back away from any fight!"

The blonde flinched as the ninja finally spoke up. The despair in his heart was washed away and relief came in its place. He lowered his weapon and shook his head. "You're not the person that did this then? What is your name?"

"You're about to die anyway so there's no point in you learning my name!" The youth beneath him growled but after realizing that Naruto wasn't going to back away, he broke. "Inari..."

Naruto released a soft sigh, and stood up, offering a hand to his supposed foe. "So there is a survivor then. Tell me what happened."

Inari hesitantly took the hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. The rain had made it damn well near impossible to see what or whom he had attacked. What provoked his wild actions was the extreme bereavement from the lost of his mother and grandfather along with the rest of the village.

But now, with a cleared head, Inari instantly recognized the fox-like face staring back at him. Not only that, the Uchiha prodigy had also accompanied him. Did news of the Wave's massacre reach the ears of foreign nations that fast? Whatever or whoever had spread the news, he was glad that there was help on the way. "Naruto-niichan? Sasuke-niichan?"

"It's really you?" While the severity of his wounds had been forgotten during their fiery battle, the pain now came back in full force, but the exhilaration in his soul caused him to soar with happiness as he slumped forward slightly "Have you come to help us? Everyone is dead,  
Naruto-niichan. They killed everyone, grand pop and mama too."

Somehow, the blonde did the only thing he could. Naruto nodded dumbly. He felt bad for all of the hardships that Inari had gone through and worse for inflicting even more damage. Talk about adding salt to an open wound. Naruto was willing to do anything to assuage his friend's hurt. The blonde reached out to touch the boy's wrist in a sign of reassurance, "Why don't you tell me what happened? Then maybe I can do something for you."

* * *

Inari had led them to a relatively stable shelter, the only one left in the whole village. Outside the skies were finally beginning to clear up, and the heavens blue once more. The sun beamed down on the bedewed grass. There was always the calm after a long storm.

"Since you've left, the village had become bustling with business. We even had random tourists from various countries visit The Great Naruto Bridge. It represented our hopes and dreams." Inari whispered quickly.

" The village began to expand. Soon, we didn't need to depend on ninjas from other villages as many of our own civilians felt the need to protect their homes with their own hands. I was promoted to a genin just two summers ago after a ninja academy was established in our country," The boy pointed to his black hitai-ite, a sense of pride filled him. "I remember all of my classmates graduating as well! For the first time, we had a new class of ninjas to protect the village. I was a Wave ninja!"

Naruto lifted his eyes from the crackling fire to peer at the excited boy. "That's quite impressive! I didn't become a genin until I was twelve."

"That's because you suck, dobe." Sasuke commented. He flipped the cooking flesh so the embers could reach the second side. They had managed to create fire when Inari led them to a wood shack. Luckily, Naruto was true to his profession. After ten minutes in the outlining forest, the blonde emerged with a dead rabbit, declaring it a delicacy.

"You're one to talk, bastard. You graduated when you were twelve too!"  
Naruto muttered, not up to the task of taking the taller nin on. His face became serious as Sasuke passed the meat to the awaiting hands. "Tell me what happened."

Chewing gently to prevent his tongue from burning, Inari gave the blonde a thoughtful look before answering the question. "I'm not so sure myself. Supposedly we were attacked by the Sound ninjas, but what troubles me is the reason behind their attack. We haven't dealt with them before, but when they arrived here, they were seeking a person named Usagi Junko."

Naruto turned to gaze at his impassive comrade. 'The Sound-nins are already on the move...but they aren't searching for Sasuke? What could they possibly want from the Wave Country? Orochimaru was already on the move and Sasuke wasn't involved?' Sasuke shook his head, indicating the end of the subject.

Inari motioned absently to the space between them. Both of the ninjas leaned

back to follow the direction in which Inari was pointing to. Sure enough, a girl about their age laid fast asleep, bundled up in the safety of her pallid dress. He couldn't see her face so no judgement was passed. "How did you survive?"

"Mama locked me up in the cellar as the Sound-nins raided the village. It was a well-hidden door so I wasn't able to get out." The look in hisblack eyes darkened, "I wanted to fight side by side with the rest of them. Why didn't she give me a chance? I would've held my ground! Damn it!"

"I'm sure you would have," Naruto concluded. From what he had gathered, his client was alive so the mission had to resume. 'What am I going to do with Inari then?'

"Let's get some rest, dobe. We'll set out tomorrow since Usagi-san is fine." Of course Sasuke wouldn't care about what had just happened. Naruto glared bitterly at the taller youth but said nothing. Staying inside the village wasn't the smartest idea either.

"Don't worry Inari."

He bit into the meat without a second thought, singeing the tip of his  
tongue.

* * *

Tossing and turning, he gave up his futile attempts to sleep. Inari's speech replayed itself as he glared into the darkness. So Orochimaru was already looking for a replacement? Was he no longer good enough? "Fuck!"

He blinked when a light thud resonated from the exterior of their cabin. Standing up, he left the two sleeping forms in the darkness and tugged the wrecked door aside. Sasuke moved with caution, careful to not slip upon the wet ground. The scent of white plum reached his nasal passage, reflexively waning his dissatisfaction. It was an enchanting perfume, not too heavy or light.

Sasuke turned his head slightly to watch the lone girl move from one grey headstone to another, never lifting her head as she dug into the damp soil to bury the dead carcasses. Her hands were filthy with brown mud; her simple

white dress bunched around the small of her knees. Bright ginger hair tumbled over her white velvety shoulders, swaying gently as she moved in the same constant rhythm.

"What are you doing?"

Her fingers plowed through the earth somberly. "Burying the dead."

"You aren't a native, are you?"

"No." She answered drearily.

"Then why are you burying them?"

"They are people regardless where they are from. It is my duty as a human being to not leave them laying around like dead animals." Usagi Junko raised her head, wiping the sweat off with a forearm. "You are the ninjas here to escort me? You aren't Uzumaki Naruto, are you?"

Sasuke leaned back against the wooden walls and crossed his arms across his chest. "No, I'm Uchiha Sasuke."

"I see." Junko rose to her feet, pulling the shoulder straps away to allow the long sleeves to fall back into place. She moved with uncompromising grace, without so much as lowering her face, she walked passed the stoic young man. Sasuke moved forward to grab the slender arm as it brushed him.

"The Sound-nins are looking for you." His eyes wandered over the female under his scrutiny. There wasn't anything special about her that he could see from her. Perhaps she had a bloodline limit? Then again, was there even one that could match the Sharingan in strength?

The elegant woman pulled away calmly, her odd amethyst-colored eyes never leaving his face as she spoke, "And that would be the reason why you're here, isn't it?"

The door behind him snapped shut, leaving him to stare at the freshly dug graves. Each one was decorated with a white lily in respect. Together with the full moon's blessings, Sasuke paid homage to the resting souls.

* * *

To be continued . . .

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Review if you want. It's appreciated. Until next time! 


	5. Sadness and Sorrow

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me. So don't sue 'cause I don't have any money...

Beta'd by my lovely Patty!

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_The Story of You and I_

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Chapter V: Sadness and Sorrow

_Years may fly by and many hardships will greet me  
__but I won't relent to it  
__because you are the only thing I need  
__in this cold world of sadness and sorrow_

* * *

He must have died and gone to heaven. That was the only reason he could come up with as to why the looming angelic figure continued to press the warm wet cloth on the cut to wipe away the dry blood. Wait, if he was in heaven, why did his body still feel like it had been thoroughly thrashed at. A halo of light illuminated her striking ginger hair making her appear even more saintly. "I've died and gone to heaven, haven't I?" 

"Unfortunately, you're still alive. How are you feeling, Uzumaki-san?" She watched him with concerned eyes. Then again why would she be worried over a foreigner? He looked up to peer into her lilac eyes, and declared that her anxiety was sincere. So he wasn't dead and she wasn't an angel. The illusion of the halo had been created by the sunlight that filtered through the creaks of the wooden walls, and now that she had moved away from him, it flared heatedly upon his face.

"Crappy." He pushed himself onto his elbows and asked her a question, "You wouldn't happen to be Usagi Junko-niisan, would you?"

"That would be me." She replied quietly.

"I see."

"If you would excuse me, I have to deliver the water to Inari-san."

Naruto waited, still feeling a bit detached from the world, as though his brain had followed the young woman outside. His hand came up to touch a burning fore head. "Did she just call me Uzumaki-san?"

Pushing himself up, Naruto cursed as he felt a sudden pull on his body. Shaking his head lightly, he bounded from the floor and stomped over the broken door, all the while feeling as though he were burning alive. The morning air whisked passed him, calming the flame slightly.

Today was indeed a new day, and with each new day came a new beginning. The earth had been reborn from the destructive ashes of the day before. The raindrops gathered together to condense into small puddles, creating small colorful rainbows. Songbirds welcomed the clear blue skies with their harmonious melodies. There wasn't a better time to be alive.

He cocked his head to the side, flinching from the pain, but paid it no heed. Naruto saw his awaiting companions then. It was an aberrant sight indeed. With Sasuke watching Junko under eyes of heavy suspicion, Junko standing wordlessly by Inari and said boy attempting to pour sake upon the graves, he couldn't help but laugh.

"I have to go now, mama. Don't forget to watch over grand pop. You don't want him to get too drunk up there!"

"Umm… do they even have sake in heaven, Inari?"

"Do you think they went to heaven, Naruto-niichan?"

"Yep! Otherwise, where else would they've gone?"

Naruto turned his attention away from the gravestone to ponder his next actions. But the question facing him today was- with the Mist possibly on their trails, what were they going to do with Inari?

While the mission still remained their top objective, Naruto understood the inevitable complications, which had finally presented themselves. Suddenly the rank of their mission took on a new light. The dusty cogs on his brain set to action.

Only when Inari had left to retrieve his belongings, did Sasuke approach him. There were so many questions floating in his mind, not of which seemed to have a fitting answer. "The report didn't say anything about the Sound being involved." Naruto whispered as he clasped his hands together, eyelids completely shut to pray to the dead. "They might come after you too."

Sasuke silently agreed. "What could they want with her though?"

"I'm not sure. Half of the information on the mission seems to be completely false. It says that she's the daughter of a farmer in the Village of the Mist. Other than that, I don't remember anything else that really stood out." Naruto answered through hooded lids, bringing a hand up to shield the blaring sunbeams from his suddenly hot face.

So now what? Naruto glanced over to see Sasuke wearing a similar expression on his face. Should they just go ahead and escort her to the Hidden Sand Village? He had to find out her real motives before making any rash decision that was for sure. After reading over the files once more, he had realized that the details of the mission itself had been quite vague, stating only to deliver her to the Hidden Sand Village. It wasn't in his place to wonder, but there wasn't any specific location to actually leave her. All it requested for was for them to accompany her to the village.

"Are you going to give the mission up then?"

Naruto propped one eye open. "Why would I do that? I've been on worse missions and the Wave Country became victim to them. I'm not giving up on this mission."

"What do you plan to do if Inari gets endangered as well? This mission isn't as black and white, usuratonkachi! Use your brain for a change!" Naruto glared at the insult and retaliated childishly with an offensive gesture. Sasuke turned away to face the chipped headstone, ignoring the immature challenge from Naruto.

"I'm not sure if you're being a hero or an idiot, dobe."

"Maybe I'm a little bit of both?" Naruto answered, humming as he turned around to walk back to the two other people waiting for him, a tune familiar to them both. Realizing that it was one of his favorite childhood ditties, Sasuke sighed audible and quickly followed.

* * *

Little progress had been made since they left the village almost a week ago. Just as they were finally nearing Konoha once more, three unknown enemies attacked them. Sasuke and he had quickly eliminated them with ease, more so on the other youth's part. A moment's lapse in attention left him open to a needle, which only managed to nick the side of his cheek thanks to Sasuke deflecting the majority of them. The idea of receiving help from the stoic ninja had left a bitter after taste in his mouth. He chose to remain at the back of the group, making the excuse that it was better because he had the best senses out of all of them. Interestingly enough, Sasuke shrugged and resumed position as the front leader.

If Sasuke noticed any signs of peculiarity upon Naruto's part, he did an exceptional job of feinting negligence. Sasuke declared that he would be the one hunting that night. Inari had volunteered to accompany Sasuke, leaving Naruto behind with their client. He hadn't particularly wanted to hunt either, feeling sluggish from a hard day's walk. Over all, he wasn't in the mood to walk another step.

After the fire was set, they found a stream close by. The water was tempting to his aching feet, sore from tedious work and hard labor. Limping over, Naruto dipped his toes tentatively into the torrent, startling himself when he found it was just a little to algid for his taste but continued on until his ankles were submerged under the rivulet. He watched his reflection waver each time he moved, welcoming the wonderful sensations. He sat down, feet still dipped inside the gelid water, cooling his heated skin. He heard the footsteps behind him but made no move to turn around.

Naruto felt the brisk night breeze caress his feverish skin. He wanted to strip himself of his skin and jump into the enticing water that would no doubt provide some form of relief. Glancing to the girl at the corner of his eye made him think otherwise.

"May I sit next to you, Uzumaki-san?" He nodded in answer, and brought a hand down into the water to form a cup. "You should let me bandage that wound for you later. There is a chance our adversaries had used poisonous needles. It's my fault entirely for standing in the way of your duty."

"I'll heal…don't worry about me so don't worry about it. It's my job to protect you." Naruto shook his head, letting the water in his hand trickle slowly over the raw cut. She gave him a smile and offered him a white handkerchief, which he gladly accepted. Lowering the fiber into the stream, he closed his eyes in gratification, gliding the soaked fabric to wipe away what residue was left. His head lulled backwards, followed by his whole body as it fell back onto the tender earth, the lush grass cushioning his head. "The stars are really bright tonight, huh? Back in Konoha, it was always really hard to see the stars late at night because the street lights burn early brightly."

He didn't know where the conversation was going to lead them, and frankly he didn't care. Naruto was glad to have company other than that of Sasuke. While the taller youth was never much of a conversationalist, he always allowed him to ramble on much like falling rain. His best friend was his own container of troubles, collecting each drop of anxiety he had and washing it away. It had been that way since childhood. That wasn't to say that the other youth cared because he never showed sympathy towards him. When words ran out, they would sit in stillness. Very much in the same fashion Junko and he were doing then. Yet, this didn't feel forced. While Sasuke had been brought back, there was still a…something that was missing. There was no doubt that the years of separation had strained their relationship.

Strangely enough he found the atmosphere immensely serene, just laying there, basking in the sounds of summer cicadas and the rippling water. His senses were heightened for inexplicable reasons. The green meadow flattened as she sat down, drawing her long white shirt so that it spread delicately across her lengthy legs. There was something about her presence he couldn't pin down, but he welcomed it nonetheless.

"I'm curious, Junko-niisan. Why didn't you just go ahead and get a Sand-nin?" Now was the best time to address the questions which had left him baffled for a few days, "Not that I'm complaining or anything, you know."

"Well, I heard rumors that there was a really strong ninja in Konoha who had studied under Jiraiya-sama."

"The Sound-nins are coming after you." His voice had turned the question into a fact, merely needing her to confirm it.

"Yes."

"Why was the information that you've submitted falsified?"

"Would they have offered you as an option had I requested you with the Sound after me?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I guess not, huh? I have my hands full with Sasuke and everything." His eyes widened at the thought of Tsunade possibly making a stupid mistake upon her part of sending him out with the Sound on their trail.

Even knowing the reasons, he felt a desire to know everything he possibly could about this person who sat next to him. At first, he had wanted to speak to her merely for informative reasons. This was a type of person he was taught to be wary of; a person who held many secrets under a perfectly secreted mask. He was no stranger to that ability himself to begin with. Perhaps that's the reason why he was sitting next to her? So much for his original motives, Naruto thought. "Why do you need to go to the Hidden Sand Village, anyway? Shouldn't they send someone in your stead or even someone else? There are going to be plenty more enemies coming after us, Junko-niisan."

"I'm not worried because you are strong after all. I would not feel safer in another person's hands, Uzumaki-san."

He blushed and was instantly glad for the darkness, which their surroundings offered. "Of course I'm the best! Why would Tsunade-bachan choose me if I weren't the best. Who are you really then?"

Wrenching his eyes away from the eternal shimmering sea above, Naruto turned his complete attention to what the girl was to say next. Junko folded her petite hands into the small of her lap, then clutching onto the helm of her skirt before relenting the grip. Her gaze lowered which immediately sent a signal that something was bothering her.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Junko-niisan." He brought a hand up and waved it hesitantly, no longer wishing to dig into anything that would hurt the girl.

"I don't have anyone."

Alone. She was alone too? His vulpine features softened, hands becoming lax once more as he sat back to stare at the sky, waiting and knowing that she would continue without his urging so. He felt her need to release…release something that was buried deep inside. The tension, which no doubt left her troubled, would continue to burden her even when her words were spoken.

"It must be nice to have someone to care for. People from whom you can draw unlimited strength from, faces whom you are willing to give your life up in order to protect them. Is that not the reason why you are so strong, Uzumaki-san?"

"People?" He blinked slowly, pulled his feet out of the water and sat up to face his reflection. An intense look of concentration crossed his face while his mind tried to piece the parts of his life together one by one. Naruto reached for a loose stone and threw it hard, watching it bounce across the surface of the rushing water before sinking deep into the bottomless depths. "I can't imagine them anywhere but near me. That's why I fight hard and push myself so I can become stronger. I don't want them to disappear from me, not even for a second."

"Because they are precious to you!" Naruto nodded in agreement with her soft but confident exclamation. Growing up had been hard on him in more ways than one, dealing with it in solitude. It was bitter. And yet none of it mattered now that the years had passed and there were those who cared enough to offer him a 'good morning' and a 'good night'. Scars could be healed over time, regardless of how deep it had been inflicted in the first place.

"My family…friends…clan…they were all massacred in the war two years ago." He groped for words of comfort, to somehow consolidate the broke voice. The young woman lowered her head; her face taking on an abrupt austerity. "My clan was the strongest of the Hidden Mist Village. We had every right to live so after fighting to claim our sovereignty from those that oppose us, almost indestructible and unrivaled in every way."

"And I watched them…get killed one by one." Junko's voice dropped steadily until it was barely heard over his haggard breathing. Naruto felt the blood rushing through his veins freeze at the chilliness of her tone. Junko's pale face shone with incomparable ethereal beauty; the moonlight kissed her skin with delicate shadows. But he saw the shadows there, one that he had often seen in the past from Sasuke and bit his tongue in nervousness. His heart sank further when he felt her shiver, from what he wasn't sure himself.

When Naruto felt a hand overlap his own hand, he felt his body want to flinch away from the cold hand but chose not to. A flutter of sadness pierced his heart when the butterfly touch quickly pulled away from his warmth.

One drop…followed by another…until it became a steady stream of sorrow.

He wanted to say something more, anything to stop the tears from falling down her pretty face, but found that his words did not wish to make it pass his dried lips. They remained so as dark shadowed clouds floated by, covering both the starts and the waning moon. He buried his head into the confines of Sasuke's white khakis, inhaling the mingling musk belonging to both him and his rival.

An ugly smile grew upon her lips when she whispered to herself, although loud enough for him to hear as well. "Run away and become stronger…"

His fair brows knitted together at the anger that had suddenly found itself in her timid voice. Where had he heard that before? "I had to run away, and this is what I've become." Naruto sharply twisted his neck to look at her. "It's become so dark…who can reach me now?"

"Running away won't make you stronger. It never does no matter how many times you are afraid. If you run away you'll lose all the strength you have ever gained." _Because you'll become what Sasuke is now,_ his mind finished for him, a person unreachable by human touch and emotion.

As though reading his thoughts, Junko spoke with a break in her voice, "Is there hope for us all though?"

"If Sasuke was saved, even though he's still a jackass in every single way, you can be saved as well. I don't know what it's like to lose my closest people because I will always fight my hardest to protect them. But I will never run away…because it's my ninja way!" Naruto finished with passionate conviction, his voice louder, more like him than he had been since they had first started the conversation.

Countenance becoming lifeless, Junko moved closer until her head was lying on his shoulder. Naruto smirked roguishly, glad that the girl was no longer upset. He blushed once more when her sweet perfume tickled his nose, but it was a pleasant scent. "You don't enjoy his company?"

"Are you kidding me? If there were ever a person created for the sole reason of being a stick in the mud it would have to be Sasuke. Well, I lie, that description fits Neji too. Anyway, no I don't enjoy his company. He calls me 'dobe' and 'usuratonkachi'. I think he knows every single synonym for the word moron." His words trailed off when the girl removed her head and stared at him; the placid face across from his own broke into a hesitant smile, as though not sure how to properly wear such a sentiment.

"Hey, Sasuke does that same thing!"

Her chin came up in interest, "Excuse me?"

"When he wants to smile or laugh, his lip twitches although it's not as subtle or as elegant in comparison to when you do it." Naruto said brightly, rising slowly from the forest floor and brushing his palms of earthly debris.

"You seem to be really close to Uchiha-san."

There were times they were hell-bent on killing each other, sure. But then again, they had always been that way since their earlier years so that wasn't anything new to either of them. But those feelings were tangible, able to change at the drop of sand from an hourglass. Naruto looked thoughtful, then gave her a sunny smile in response, "You can say that, I guess."

As if on cue, Sasuke entered the clearing with Inari in step behind him, a dead rabbit in hand and a bloody kunai in the other. "Eat," was all Sasuke said, settling not too far from the space where Naruto and Junko had previously occupied.

"How lovely…"Naruto rolled his eyes, biting his tongue to resist the urge of forming words which would lead to another one of their usual bantering. While the group ate, his mind remained muddled, his food untouched.

"What's wrong with you, Naruto-niisan? You aren't eating?"

"I'm not really hungry," But Naruto pasted a cheerful smile and offered his portion to Inari. One glance from Sasuke indicated that the stoic Uchiha had saw a lapse of normality upon his part. He quickly pulled his food back from Inari's protesting hands, and stuffed himself. He silently prayed to everything in existence that his stomach would be able to hold down the meal.

The group ate in silence, with odd random pieces of conversation exchanged between Naruto and company while Sasuke chose to consume his meal alone far from the camp in the foliage of the forest, still keeping a close eye on the others. It was decided that Naruto would be the first to keep watch. Considering the fact that it was always easier to sleep straight through then be woken in mid-slumber.

Jumping onto a low branch, Naruto lowered his back and slumped against the tree trunk. He looked to the dark heavens, only to come crashing back down when footsteps from below alerted him of a new arrival. "There is something strange about her, Sasuke. Have you ever heard of the Usagi clan? And that's not just it, she requested for me specifically. I don't get it…so she obviously knows who I am but as to why the Sound are after her…" Naruto peered down to lock his gaze on the expressionless eyes below. "I never got to ask her, all thanks to you. You just have the worse timing in the world."

Sasuke grunted, his onyx eyes narrowing as he lifted his head to meet the swinging feet, which belonged to Naruto. "You're one to talk, dobe. What else did you get from her?"

"Nothing else." Shaking his head, Naruto pulled the blue shirt closer to his cold body, his breathing coming out in pants. Strange how it could be so cold at the end of July. He shifted over when the other boy decided to join him, however, Sasuke remained standing as he landed onto the branch.

Naruto glanced over at Sasuke, studying his inhuman beauty before jerking his flushed face away. Thankfully, the red glow upon his skin was covered up by the gray dimness. He thought back to Junko and her words. Had he really saved his friend? Or was this person in front him a mere casket of what remained from the past? Naruto found himself yearning to touch the other boy, wanting to confirm the fact that Sasuke was reality and not some figment of his own imagination. He visibly flinched under the other boy's inquiry when a short silence fell upon them.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke looked on at the blonde impassively, crossing his arms. Naruto had been unusually calm throughout the entire day, not calling him a bastard once and actually granting him permission to go off on his own. "You're sick…"

"There's nothing wrong with me…I'm fine. Just go back to the camp and go to bed. I'll wake you up when my time is up." Naruto muttered lowly, turning his face away to hide the flush covering him. There was something definitely wrong with him.

"Go rest. I'll take over for you." Sasuke stretched a hand out in assistance, knowing that Naruto would more then likely reject the gesture of help.

"I said I'm fine so stop telling me what to do, bastard." He wanted to bring a hand up to slap the offending limb away. It hurt even to move, so he resolved himself to just glaring at the other boy. "I'm fine, Sasuke…just a little bit tired. Since when did you start worrying about me anyway?"

Sasuke was on the point of telling him how worthless he would be if he became a burden on the group, but thought otherwise. Without another word, he descended to the ground and made his way back to the sleeping forms. "Do what you want."

"I will…" Naruto mumbled beneath his breath, turning his gaze onto the starry skies.

_-You should have just gone back with him.-_

There was that voice again, although in the haze of his mind, Naruto could almost place it with a face. "Is that you, Kyuubi? It is, isn't it? Damn it, I thought I've been going mad for the past few days. Since when could you speak to me while I'm awake."

_-Your seal is weakening…so logically I'd have more freedom to your body.-_

"You what?" Naruto practically screamed, wincing as his lungs constricted from the force of his yell. He launched forward, growling loud enough to threaten the demon inside of him. "I'm not letting you do anything."

He yelped when his breathing came in rapid intervals, relaxing when the pressure was released. Naruto wiped his hand over his eyes and shoved his wet hair back from his face. Three minutes later, the fox demon spoke, his voice coming out in soothing words. Naruto felt a tingle run up his spine, but found that the humming pulse did not repulse him whatsoever.

_-I don't plan on doing anything to you…yet. There's no point in hurting vessel right now. As for the future, we'll see about it. Why didn't you take his help?-_

"I don't need his help. You'll heal me sooner or later anyway so what's the point of relying on him?" Naruto asked, then lifted his legs for a more comfortable position.

_-You can't rely on him but you can on me? Touch the wound on your face, brat. It's not going to heal as fast as it once did. Now that the seal is breaking, our entities will soon become two entirely separate beings.-_

Naruto listened to the words, bring a hand to trace the cut he had received and jerked it away. "Whatever…you talk too much." His usually clear blue eyes darkened to a sapphire, feeling the fear race through him and knowing full well that the fox demon was enjoying his predicament.

Well damn, he finally got the stupid demon to shut up. Naruto smiled and eased himself back into the tree, only to drift off into a dreamless slumber when the stress on his body became too great not knowing that Sasuke had remained under the umbrage, having heard his every word.

* * *

Sakura tugged on the white sleeves, pulling them up slowly and examined the angry wound. She sighed softly, taking the roll of fabric on the silver tray and began cleaning the wound out. Her hands were careful to not further aggravate the cuts. "You should've been more careful Neji-san. You should've gotten more help from Lee-san. You should ask the other's to remove the debris instead of doing it yourself. I'm sure he would've helped you, had you asked. Give me your jacket so I can wash off the blood."

It had been close to two weeks since she and the rest of her teammates had arrived at the Hidden Sand Village. They had been allowed to stay within the borders of the Kazekage's home, where protection was highest. And yet there were still no signs of Naruto or Sasuke. Worry had consumed her constantly for the last few days, leaving her barely conscious through her duties. She dropped the stained coat into a nearby laundry bin and moved to adjust her apron, half listening to the men conversing outside of the clinic through the small creak of the window.

After the group had dispersed, one figure remained in his spot. Sakura closed the door behind her and smoothed her skirts out as she addressed him. "Are you off your duties now, Kazekage-sama?"

Gaara paused in his step to turn to the pink-haired girl, a questioning stare on his face. He wanted to ignore the question, but chose to speak to the girl instead. "No. I'm here to see to the wounded."

She nodded slowly, knowing that he wasn't about to start any conversations with her either. However, she couldn't give up…not when their safety was on her shoulders. Rather than circumventing the situation, Sakura moved straight to the point of her concerns, "Do you recall of there being any mission proposed here for Usagi Junko? Because Naruto was requested from Konoha and I can't see why he was chosen to begin with because your sand-nins are probably more than capable. They should have been here more than a few days ago."

The crimson-haired young man studied the girl in front of him, the pallor of her skin, the pink locks, which flowed in short waves over her eyes. "There wasn't any mission issued for us other than the ones inside our village. As of a person named Usagi Junko, I've never heard of her name before and there hasn't been any records of admittance for this so-called person."

With that he left her to ponder upon his words. Sakura swallowed thickly, stroking her arm and walking back into the clinic. Finding Neji where she had left him, Sakura immediately apologized for forgetting about him before tending to his wound. She cocked her head to the side and blew a light sigh. "I'm worried about them."

Just as Neji turned to leave, Sakura said, "I don't think this mission is right, Neji-san. Something feels wrong about it…I went over the files again and again to confirm that girl's identity. That clan was wiped out completely a few years back…by the works of the Sound. Should we go after them ourselves?"

She sniffled, and broke into a smile when the Branch member stood up to leave the bed, causing the white sheets to fall onto the ground. "I might just be worrying too much, don't you think? There's still our mission to accomplish. There are so many people to help in the Hidden Sand Village from the last Sound attack. Lee-san and you are putting forth so much effort to protect this village and I can do nothing other then wallow in fear. I'm sure Sasuke-kun won't be getting into any trouble. I mean…Tsunade-sensei personally chose Naruto and Sasuke-kun for the mission so they'll be fine, right?"

They were words of comfort upon her part, in reality, purely fictional. Neji gave her a look of distaste before shoving the door apart and exiting, leaving her in the painful silence of the room, only broken by the whirling fan overhead. She found no peace as her fears continued to consume her, but it wasn't in her place to worry. They were serving on the line of duty. They were Leaf Ninjas for god's sake. "You'll be fine…won't you, Sasuke-kun?"

* * *

_To Be Continued_

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A/N: So Sorry! I've been crazy busy lately. I'm presently working on The Fragrance of Love and Wine as well as another Fic called Collide. Lol...I just want to thank all those that review last time and I can't leave any comments here right now...so next chapter! I promise! You know the drill! Read and Review, por favor!


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